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One of the most celebrated names in motorsport, Alfa Romeo, is returning to the Formula One World Championship in 2018.
The famous Italian carmaker has signed a “multi-year technical and commercial partnership” with the Sauber F1 team, and will be the title sponsor from next year onwards.
Running under the banner, Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 team, the cars will continue to be powered by Ferrari engines, and will bear the Alfa Romeo logo.
In announcing the association, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne, said, “This agreement with the Sauber F1 Team is a significant step in the reshaping of the Alfa Romeo brand, which will return to Formula 1 after an absence of more than 30 years.”
“A storied marque that has helped make the history of this sport, Alfa Romeo will join other major automakers that participate in Formula 1. The brand itself will also benefit from the sharing of technology and strategic know-how with a partner of the Sauber F1 Team’s undisputed experience,” he said.
Alfa Romeo participated in the modern Formula One World Championship from its inaugural year in 1950 until 1988, as a constructor and engine supplier.
Alfa took out the driver’s title in 1950 with Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina at the wheel, and Juan Manuel Fangio made it two in a row, steering the Alfetta 159 to the first of his five crowns the following year.
From the late '70s to mid 1980s Alfa Romeo ran as a factory team, and was an engine supplier from the 1960s, through to 1988 when it severed its involvement with the world's top motor racing category after a difficult time with the struggling Osella team.
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