Alfa Romeo confirm Giovinazzi for 2020

Jamie Woodhouse
Antonio Giovinazzi retained by Alfa Romeo for 2020.

Antonio Giovinazzi retained by Alfa Romeo for 2020.

Alfa Romeo will retain Italian driver Antonio Giovinazzi for a second season with the team in 2020.

Giovinazzi, who is competing in his first full season of F1 in 2019, will once again partner Kimi Raikkonen in an unchanged line-up next season.

After a difficult start to the campaign Giovinazzi has come on leaps and bounds since the summer break, scoring all of Alfa’s three points in that time.

“I am very happy to be staying with the team for 2020,” Giovinazzi told the Alfa Romeo Sauber Group website.

“I am grateful for the incredible level of support I received in my first full season in Formula 1. Everyone in the team has stuck by my side since I joined and I am really looking forward to continuing our journey together.

“We learned a lot this year and I am confident we can make a big step forward next season. I won’t be a rookie anymore so there won’t be any excuses for me: I want to be competitive right from the start of the championship and repay the confidence the team has shown in me.”

Alfa Romeo principal Frederic Vasseur, who has been praising Giovinazzi’s work in recent months, is delighted that he will continue with the team for 2020.

“Antonio has done really well this year and I am extremely pleased to be able to confirm he will stay with Alfa Romeo Racing for 2020,” he added.

“The way he has integrated into the team and has consistently improved throughout his first full season in the sport are very promising and we cannot wait to unlock his full potential as we continue to work together.

“Antonio has emerged as a very quick driver, even alongside as tough a benchmark as Kimi, and we expect him to develop even further as his experience grows. His technical feedback, work ethics and positive approach will help us continue to push our team forward, and so will the consistency of an unchanged line-up for next season.”

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