Fiat could make entry into Formula 1 through Alfa Romeo Racing with the decision to be taken before next summer, according to the German media. The Sauber name officially disappeared from Formula 1 a few days back when the team was renamed as Alfa Romeo Racing for the 2019 season.
Having acquired the services of 2007 world champion, Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo racing would be hoping for a strong 2019 season, one in which they would be hopeful of a few podium finishes.
It’s the dawn of a new era in Alfa Romeo Racing’s history, one that could be on course for another historic change, if reports from the Auto Bild, the leading German automobile magazine based in Hamburg, are to be believed. According to Auto Bild, Fiat group have been given the option to buy Alfa Romeo and have until the summer to decide if they want to go ahead with the deal.
The Hinwil-based company is still owned by Islero Investments AG, which was set up by Longbow Finance (who bought Sauber from Peter Sauber and Monisha Kaltenborn in 2016) to run the team. Sauber have been using Ferrari power units and indulged in a technical partnership with Alfa Romeo in 2018. Now, the Auto Bild report states that Fiat group was behind renaming of the Sauber team, and they paid €6 million euros for the same.
Such a move would likely increase the amount of political sway that Scuderia Ferrari and the Fiat Group have in voicing their opinions on the direction of Formula One, which will undergo a regulation change for the 2021 season, when the current Concorde Agreement expires. However, the Fiat Group may decide that such a move is not necessary. Given the close ties with Ferrari, it would be a surprise if Alfa Romeo Racing completely deviates away from Ferrari’s aims for the 2021 regulations, as the two groups already have pretty close ties.
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