What a change for Sauber. Just two years ago, the team’s survival was hanging in the balance, and one could wonder if F1 was about to lose one of its oldest teams. Since the acquisition by new investors, an entirely new dynamic has been established.<\/p>\n
One of the first decisions was to recruit Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vasseur, with an unquestionable track record in junior categories. The Frenchman quickly ended the association with Honda before it materialized, in order to strengthen historical ties with Ferrari. This was realized by the arrival of Alfa Romeo as the title sponsor and the recruitment of Charles Leclerc, who clearly elevated the whole team.<\/p>\n
A new phase will be implemented starting next season. Indeed, the Swiss team has just announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with Charouz to have a comprehensive program for developing young drivers, as Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Vasseur explains: \u00ab Racing is a vital part of Sauber Motorsport’s DNA, and the Sauber Junior Team is an important milestone in the company’s history. Sauber has a long tradition of helping drivers reach their full potential, having worked with Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, and up-and-coming star Charles Leclerc. \u00bb<\/p>\n
Charouz already had close ties with Ferrari since its two drivers in F2 this season, Antonio Fuoco and Louis Deletraz, were sporting the Scuderia’s colors. Next year, the visual identity of Sauber will be adopted on the cars fielded by the Czech team in all categories, from F2 to F3 (which will replace GP3) and Italian F4.<\/p>\n
The interest for Ferrari, which allowed Alfa Romeo to be the title sponsor of the Swiss team, is to benefit from a clear structure to bring out the next young talents from its Ferrari Academy, as Charles Leclerc has been promoted to the main team and Antonio Giovinazzi will compete in his first full F1 season with Sauber.<\/p>\n