ALFA ROMEO’S SUPPORT ‘CRUCIAL’ FOR SAUBER

Alfa Romeo F1 boss Fred Vasseur said retaining Alfa Romeo’s support was “crucial” to Sauber’s position in Formula 1.

Sauber are one of Formula 1’s longest-serving outfits having first joined the grid back in 1993, and in the time since have been involved in several partnerships as well as operating as an independent team.

From 1995-2001 the Red Bull Sauber team competed in the series with Red Bull’s title sponsorship, while from 2006-2010 they were known as BMW Sauber in which time the team scored its only race win at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix courtesy of Robert Kubica.

After returning to being an independent outfit, Sauber later linked up with Alfa Romeo to be known as Alfa Romeo Sauber in 2018, before becoming Alfa Romeo from 2019 under the sponsorship deal.

And towards the end of 2020, Alfa Romeo confirmed they would continue their relationship with Sauber for at least another year.

“For us it’s crucial”- Fred Vasseur reveals that Alfa Romeo’s name tag is important for the F1 team for its survival and future.

The team formerly known as Sauber renamed itself as Alfa Romeo in 2019, while first carrying the Italian brand ties in 2018. The move came on the course of close allies with Alfa Romeo’s sister brand Ferarri, which includes purchasing gearboxes, engines and other crucial services.

This was the first significant decision made by Fred Vasseur after first taking charge of the outfit in 2017. Vasseur has called the increasing ties with the Alfa Romeo brand essential to the team’s development.

“For us it’s crucial,” Vasseur said when asked by Autosport about the Alfa tie-up. “I don’t want to speak about the financial aspect, but for sure it’s a part of this.”

“It’s rather the motivation that you can add into the team, that you can afford the recruiting for the development of the company.” he further added.

“The fact that Alfa Romeo, the first world champion, is extending the deal with us and wants to develop the partnership is a nice reward, but it’s not just a reward, it’s the next step for us.”

The Sauber and Alfa Romeo partnership is not limited to F1 only, as Sauber is also involved in developing the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and GTAm road cars using its Hinwil wind tunnel facility.

“Even if it’s outside of the Formula 1 world, I think it’s important to build up a strong collaboration between the two companies, and it’s also the future of the collaboration that we have to continue to push into this direction.

“For sure I know perfectly [well] that we also need to improve the performance on the track, that it’s not just better to do aero development but that we need to have a global approach and global package.

“But the automotive side is one part of the partnership, and it’s crucial if you want to develop the partnership between the brand and the Formula 1 team.”

ALFA ROMEO’S SUPPORT ‘CRUCIAL’ FOR SAUBER ALFA ROMEO’S SUPPORT ‘CRUCIAL’ FOR SAUBER

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