Official: Antonio Giovinazzi retained by Alfa Romeo in 2020
Alfa Romeo confirmed that Antonio Giovinazzi was renewed for 2020 alongside Kimi Räikkönen. Nico Hülkenberg is therefore expected to leave F1 due to a lack of available seats.
Rumors had been circulating for some time in the paddock about the possible renewal of Antonio Giovinazzi with Alfa Romeo. They were officially confirmed today in a press release from Alfa Romeo.
After spending two years without racing in competition, Formula 1 observers knew that his debut would be complicated. Especially since the last memory was from the 2017 Chinese Grand Prix where, replacing an injured Pascal Wehrlein, he was caught out by the wet track and ended his race in the wall just three laps into the start.
And for his first season as a starter, Antonio Giovinazzi faced a world champion and not just any, Kimi Räikkönen. The Finn would be a good benchmark for the rookie, nurtured by Scuderia Ferrari. Clearly, the start of the Italian driver’s season was complicated. During the first eight races, his teammate entered the points five times while Giovinazzi did not manage to do so. It was necessary to wait for the Austrian Grand Prix to see the car with the number 99 score its first point but lose a tuft of hair, cut by Frédéric Vasseur, following a bet within the Swiss team.
Since then, the native of Martina Franca has often matched ‘Iceman’ in qualifying. Due to a C38 lacking developments, points are no longer within reach for Alfa Romeo. Antonio Giovinazzi will likely end his season on a low note with only 4 points. That’s 27 less than his garage neighbor.
For Antonio Giovinazzi, the goals for next year are clear: to progress and be competitive from the start of the season. « I am very happy to stay with the team for 2020. I am grateful for the incredible level of support I received during my first full season in Formula One. Everyone in the team has stood by me since I joined, and I really look forward to continuing our journey together. We have learned a lot this year, and I am convinced we can make a big step forward next season. I will no longer be a rookie, so there will be no more excuses for me: I want to be competitive from the start of the championship and repay the trust the team has shown me. »
As often, one person’s happiness is another’s misfortune: the Alfa Romeo seat was the last one that Nico Hülkenberg could aspire to. The German may therefore be forced to move on to other horizons. He might have the opportunity to bounce back in the German Touring Car Championship, the DTM, while keeping a foot in F1 with a hypothetical third driver role.
