Alfa Romeo will bid farewell to Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi
On the occasion of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Italian brand will compete in its last race as the title sponsor of the Sauber team.
Back in Formula 1 in 2018 under the leadership of former FIAT group boss Sergio Marchionne, Alfa Romeo is preparing to bid farewell to motorsport this weekend, at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In six years of partnership with Sauber, the premium Italian brand of the Stellantis group will have launched Charles Leclerc’s Formula 1 career, allowed Kimi Räikkönen to finish his illustrious career in the pinnacle of motorsport, and established Frédéric Vasseur as a recognized Team Principal, enabling him to later take the reins of the prestigious Scuderia Ferrari.
On the occasion of this farewell, Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of the Alfa Romeo brand, wanted to reflect on these six years of presence in F1.
For Alfa Romeo, this adventure in Formula 1 represented a top-level international showcase, as well as an incredible human and sporting experience. In my humble opinion, the return on investment of the work we have done here has been the most positive of my entire career. The benefits in terms of visibility serve as a reference for the entire Stellantis group.
For several months, rumors from the paddock hinted that Alfa Romeo was interested in partnering with Haas F1 to continue their Formula 1 adventure. Unless there is a last-minute surprise, it seems that a collaboration with the American team is not in the Italian brand’s short-term plans. However, Jean-Philippe Imparato leaves the door open for a return to motorsport in the future.
(EN) “Alfa Romeo has competition in its DNA and will return to thrill its fans as soon as possible, when the conditions are met,” concluded the French boss.
Currently 9th in the constructors’ championship, Alfa Romeo can still hope to overtake Williams and AlphaTauri to finish 7th. Since 2018, the best result of the team currently led by Alessandro Alunni Bravi was achieved in 2022 when the cars, driven by Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, propelled Alfa Romeo to 6th place in the championship.
