Just a few hours after Audi officially announced its F1 entry for 2026, Alfa Romeo published a statement about ending its partnership with Sauber Motorsport at the end of 2023.
The news about the forthcoming divorce, come one month after Alfa Romeo confirmed it will stay with Sauber throughout 2023, citing the “promising results of the first half of the season”. The decision to end this successful and long-term partnership could be related to a rumored takeover by Audi Sport in 2026, something that will be confirmed by the end of the year when Audi announces its F1 partner.
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Alfa Romeo didn’t give specific details about its future in motorsports, but said it will now “evaluate among the many oportunities on the table, and decide which will be the best one to sustain the long term strategy and the positioning of the Brand”.
While it is not clear if those opportunities are within the F1 championship, there are rumors about a possible collaboration with Haas starting from the 2024 season.
The partnership between Alfa Romeo and Sauber started in 2017, when the Italian brand became the main sponsor. In 2019, the team entered the championship under the name Alfa Romeo Racing, although Sauber retained ownership and management. Among the drivers that have raced with Alfa Romeo single-seaters in recent years are Kimi Räikkönen, Charles Leclerc, and Valtteri Bottas.
It will be interesting to see how Alfa Romeo will deal with Sauber’s involvement in the development of its forthcoming supercar flagship, although it has been confirmed that the model will debut in 2023.
