Alfa Romeo confirms F1 split with Sauber following 2023 campaign

Alfa Romeo will part ways with Sauber Motorsport following six years with the Swiss-based outfit.

The Italian brand announced it would return to Formula 1 with Sauber at the end of the 2017 campaign, initially holding title sponsorship in 2018, where Charles Leclerc made his debut in F1.

Following this, the team was renamed Alfa Romeo Racing in 2019, with the following three seasons seeing the team slowly fall down the order before jumping back into the midfield in the new era in 2022.

However, despite this upturn in form, the two entities have opted to split at the end of next year, with confirmation arriving on Friday morning of the Belgian Grand Prix.

A statement published read:

“Alfa Romeo communicates that its partnership with Sauber Motorsport will end within the end of 2023.

“Alfa Romeo announced its return in F1 in 2017 with a long term plan, and in July 2022 has announced the decision to continue its partnership with Sauber also for 2023, given to the promising results of the first half of the season, both in terms of performances, marketing and positive collaboration within the team.

“Since the economic and industrial turnaround of the brand will be achieved in 2022, Alfa Romeo will now evaluate among the many opportunities on the table, and decide which will be the best one to sustain the long term strategy and the positioning of the brand.”

This follows the announcement that Audi will join F1 in 2026 as an engine supplier, with heavy speculation surrounding a partnership between the German manufacturer and Sauber.

The team enjoyed perhaps its most successful spell in the late 2000s, with a partnership with BMW helping the team collect their one and only win with Robert Kubica at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.

So, another collaboration with a German car brand could be what the outfit needs to push itself to the top in F1.

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