The FCA group brand is back on track. Alfa Romeo will take part in the next Formula One world championship, in a team created in collaboration with Sauber, which in recent years has always finished in the bottom positions of the championship standings.
The agreement with the Swiss team – which has raced with Ferrari-branded engines in recent years – is multi-year in duration. Alfa Romeo will supply the engines and will also be the main sponsor of the team, which will be called Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.
The partnership provides for strategic, commercial and technological cooperation.
“This agreement with Sauber is an important step in the relaunch of the Alfa Romeo brand, which will return to Formula 1 after an absence of more than 30 years. An historic brand that has made the history of this sport, Alfa Romeo – anticipated Sergio Marchionne – will join other important car manufacturers in Formula 1”
The details of the sensational return – which had already been talked about for several months – will be announced by Marchionne at a press conference on Saturday.
The history of Alfa Romeo in Formula One is made up of champions, successes but also failures. In 1950 and 1951 the official Alfa Romeo drivers won two consecutive world championships: first Giuseppe Farina, then the Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio.
After two exciting seasons, Iri (which at the time was the owner of the Italian company) decided to withdraw the team from the world championship due to the high level of competition. In the Sixties the first return, not very happy from the point of view of the results. Mediocre results also in 1970, when the driver was the Italian Andrea de Adamich.
The turning point in the history of Alfa Romeo in F1 was 1976, when Bernie Ecclestone, then owner of Brabham, signed a three-year agreement for the supply of engines. That car was driven by a certain Niki Lauda. In the following years the Biscione tried to come back several times with a completely Italian and home-made car, but the results obtained were mediocre. The last GP disputed was in Monza, in 1984.
