Official: Alfa Romeo and Sauber announce their partnership
Alfa Romeo will return to Formula 1 as a title sponsor and technical and commercial partner of Sauber. The Swiss single-seaters will be equipped with Ferrari power units.
The Sauber team announced today its technical and commercial partnership with Alfa Romeo. The Italian manufacturer, which is part of the FIAT Chrysler Automobile (FCA) group that also owns Ferrari, is making its big return to Formula 1, but for now, as the title sponsor of the Swiss team.
In 2018, Sauber will once again be powered by a Ferrari power unit but will benefit from the infrastructure and development of Alfa Romeo: “We are truly happy to welcome Alfa Romeo to the Sauber team,” states Sauber Director, Pascal Picci, before continuing: “Alfa Romeo has a long and successful history in Grand Prix racing and we are extremely proud that this internationally renowned brand has chosen to partner with us for its return to the pinnacle of motorsport. Working closely with a car manufacturer is a real opportunity for Sauber to further develop our engineering and technology.”
Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of FCA, outlines the contours of this new association: “The agreement with Sauber is an important step towards reshaping the Alfa Romeo brand, which is returning to Formula 1 after more than 30 years of absence. The brand will also benefit from the sharing of technology and strategic know-how with a partner with undisputed experience like the Sauber team. Alfa Romeo engineers and technicians, who have already demonstrated their capabilities with the new models launched, Giulia and Stelvio, will have the opportunity to put this experience at the disposal of the team. Moreover, Alfa Romeo fans will once again have the opportunity to support a car manufacturer determined to write a new exciting chapter in its unique and legendary sports history,” stated the Italian.
As a fully-fledged constructor at the beginning of the creation of the Formula 1 World Championship, Alfa Romeo enabled Nino Farina in 1950 and Juan Manuel Fangio in 1951 to win the drivers’ titles in the discipline. Later becoming a simple engine supplier, the Italian manufacturer left the discipline quietly in 1988.
