Alfa Romeo give first hints of their next steps after Sauber F1 departure
The Alfa Romeo logo.
Alfa Romeo have said they will decide upon their next steps in motorsport come the end of June, as they prepare to leave Formula 1.
The team will be splitting from its naming and partnership deal with Sauber at the end of the 2023 season, with the Hinwil-based outfit set to begin preparing for a majority takeover by Audi in time for the 2026 campaign.
Alfa Romeo executive director Jean Philippe Imparato has confirmed that they are assessing their options both in and out of Formula 1, and the brand could move into the world of sportscars after the year ends.
“At the end of June we will decide what our future in motorsport will be,” Imparato told L’Argus in France, as per MSN.
“We are not excluding anything, but the sure fact is that there is an intention to continue racing. This year we will be celebrating our centenary, it will remain to be seen whether we will remain in Formula 1 or move into prototypes.”
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What could be next for Alfa Romeo?
If they are to stay in Formula 1, short of submitting a request to the FIA to form their own factory team from scratch – which is an option available to them until the end of April, and their most expensive, at that – their options are looking relatively slim at this moment in time.
Given that most of the constructors are in the position of not wanting to budge from the 10-team grid that is currently in place in Formula 1, this would leave Alfa Romeo in the market for looking to take over an existing outfit.
With Audi, Alpine, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Aston Martin all pretty certainly off the table, this leaves precious few options available to them.
A bid to take over at Haas might be the option Alfa Romeo opt for in the short-term, but Guenther Steiner said in a recent interview that team owner Gene Haas is committed to Formula 1 and is not looking to sell, having already turned down calls from Michael Andretti over a similar proposal.
Unless Red Bull would be willing to sell AlphaTauri, or they can strike a deal with Williams, it appears as though Alfa’s involvement as a team in Formula 1 may be about to reach the end of the road when 2023 draws to a close.
As it stands, then, the choice for Alfa Romeo appears to be between staying in Formula 1 on a sponsorship basis with another team, or heading into the burgeoning new era of endurance racing.