This weekend, Alfa Romeo’s stay in Formula 1 comes to an end at the Abu Dhabi GP. Since 2018, it has been a partner of Sauber, but with the Hinwil team entering the project with Audi, the partnership ends at the end of this year and the Italian brand has not joined any other team in the grid – there was speculation that it could join Haas.
At the farewell, Alfa Romeo’s managing director, Jean-Philippe Imparato, explained: ‘When we returned to the premier category in 2017, we had a long-term plan. In July 2022, we extended our partnership with Sauber, based on the encouraging results of the first part of the season, not only on the track but also in terms of marketing. Alfa Romeo has now achieved an economic return, so we had to decide how to position our brand in the sport in the future. […]. We have been profitable again since 2021 and we don’t feel pressured to make a decision soon on how to proceed in the sport’.
After the positive impact of F1 for Alfa Romeo and the Stellantis group it belongs to, Imparato admitted a return to the top class… but not at any cost: ‘Motorsport is an integral part of Alfa Romeo’s DNA – we will delight the fans again as long as the conditions are right’.
