Alfa Romeo Sauber Reveals New C37 For F1 2018

It’s been 30 years since Alfa Romeo was last represented in Formula One (beyond a logo on Ferrari’s car). But that dry spell comes to an end today with the reveal of the new Alfa Romeo Sauber C37.

Stemming from the partnership announced this past November, the Swiss team brings the Italian marque back into the fold with the car you see here.

Though closely mirroring what we saw in December, the livery marks a clean departure over those that Sauber has run in recent years. And that comes down principally to the new title sponsor. Beyond the shape of the car it adorns, the only major difference with this livery over the demo car’s is the inclusion of Alfa Romeo’s iconic cloverleaf badge – the same that’s adorned performance-oriented and racing Alfas for nearly a century now, from the RL that won the Targa Florio in 1923 to the latest Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

Underneath the red and white color scheme and the sponsor logos, the new C37 marks more of a revolutionary than evolutionary approach over last year’s C36. That comes down partially to the new regulations, with their revised aero format and new “halo” cockpit protection device.

Power comes once again from a 1.6-liter turbocharged hybrid V6 provided by Alfa’s sister-company Ferrari. But with closer factory support, Sauber won’t have to do with the previous year’s power unit as it did last year. That in and of itself could make a huge difference for the team that finished dead last in last year’s championship, beaten out even by a struggling McLaren and Ferrari’s other customer team Haas.

Making the most of the new chassis and engine package will come down to a returning Marcus Ericsson and his new teammate Charles Leclerc. The young Monegasque pilot joins Sauber from the Ferrari Driver Academy with the Formula 2 title in hand (to go with his previous GP3 trophy). We’ll be watching to see how they do. But one way or another, it’ll be good to see Alfa Romeo back on the grid again.