October 29, 2020 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – Alfa Romeo and Sauber Motorsport will join forces, once again, for the Formula One World Championship. The partnership between two of the most recognized brands in motorsports started in 2018, when Alfa Romeo joined the team as title sponsor. The past two years the team has scored hard-earned points in both the driver and constructor championships, battling for a top eight finish in 2020.
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG:
“The extension of our relationship with Alfa Romeo is a true statement of intent from both parties. In Sauber, Alfa Romeo found a committed, performance-driven partner to which it could entrust the brand: we are honoured to carry the heritage and past success of Alfa Romeo in our name. Both parties always intended for this relationship to bear fruit in the long term; we have laid some solid foundations in the last three seasons and we aim to reap the rewards of this work in 2021 and beyond.”
Mike Manley, FCA CEO:
“Racing and performance are at the core of Alfa Romeo’s DNA. The brand was practically born on a racetrack and today we continue to compete at the most technologically advanced level of motorsports. The partnership with Sauber also allows our customers to benefit from exclusive racing know-how, as it is the case of the all-new Giulia GTA and GTAm, which incorporate Sauber’s technical input particularly as it relates to advanced aerodynamics.”
Exclusive livery for a major occasion
To celebrate this announcement and to pay tribute to all the fans of Italian racing cars, Alfa Romeo will display an exclusive livery in the C39 race car at the upcoming Imola Grand Prix, a proud venue for Alfa Romeo and Italian motorsport tradition alike.
Designed by Centro Stile, the livery will display the Italian flag in a straight flash on the upper section of the engine cover and on the rear wing end plate, blending into the theme of the 2020 “speed pixel” livery with its linear and dynamic graphic treatment.
The exclusive logo for the 110th anniversary of Alfa Romeo appears in a prominent position, also on the engine cover, alongside the wording, “Welcome back, Imola,” recognizing the circuit’s position as one of the most iconic on the tour and as one of the greatest Italian tracks. From Touring and Sport categories to Formula One, Imola has been a venue for major Alfa Romeo victories in all three categories.
Alfa Romeo and Sauber Group: a technical and commercial partnership
Alfa Romeo and Sauber Group partnership extends beyond racing. The collaboration allows Sauber Engineering’s technical expertise to be transferred to Alfa Romeo road car production, leveraging the know-how of Sauber’s engineering and aerodynamics departments, as well as its proficiency with composite and additive manufacturing.
Alfa Romeo also entrusts Sauber Engineering with the production of most of the carbon components in the GTA and GTAm, especially those that affect aerodynamic impact. These include the new front bumper and adjustable front splitter, side skirts, diffuser, GTA spoiler and GTAm aerowing. The Giulia GTAm – thanks to its manually adjustable front and rear wings – can adapt its aerodynamic performance to any kind of track or road, precisely following the requests and preferences of its driver. The wind tunnel’s aerodynamic research was not limited to the wing; it also worked on the underbody, which – as on the Giulia Quadrifoglio – is fully faired. The GTA and GTAm also benefit from a special new air extractor capable of increasing the car’s ground effect, thus guaranteeing excellent road holding at high speeds. In particular on the Giulia GTAm, the most intense aerodynamic configuration is able to develop double the pressure compared to the Giulia GTA and a triple increase compared to the Giulia Quadrifoglio, which previously represented the benchmark in its segment.
110 years of history on circuits all over the world
A year after its inception on June 24, 1910, the Alfa Romeo brand made its official debut in the racing world by winning the first Regularity Race in Modena. Since then, its rich sporting heritage has been enriched even further by victories and top-three finishes in many international championships. The bond between Alfa Romeo and Formula 1 has written the history of motorsports: the Biscione – as Alfa Romeo is known in Italy – won the first Grand Prix and the inaugural edition of the ultimate category of motor racing in 1950, with Nino Farina on board an Alfa Romeo Gran Premio Tipo 158 “Alfetta,” a triumph repeated in 1951 by Juan Manuel Fangio in the Alfetta 159. Renewing this commitment also serves as the ideal way to continue the celebrations of the brand’s 110th anniversary.
Alfa Romeo
Since its foundation in Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and exclusive cars in automotive history. That tradition lives on today as Alfa Romeo continues to take a unique and innovative approach to designing automobiles. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio sets a new benchmark in performance, style and technology in an SUV. The award-winning Alfa Romeo Giulia delivers race-inspired performance, advanced technologies and an exhilarating driving experience to the premium midsize sedan segment. The Giulia Quadrifoglio and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio feature Alfa Romeo’s most powerful production engine ever with best-in-class 0-60 mph times of 3.8 and 3.6 seconds, respectively. Rounding out Alfa Romeo’s world-class lineup is the handcrafted Alfa Romeo 4C Spider. Alfa Romeo is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. For more information regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com.
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