Alfa Romeo has confirmed its current driver line-up of Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi will remain with the team for a third season. Raikkonen, who became the sport’s most experienced driver of all time earlier this year, will start his 19th season in Formula 1.
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in the team’s project and in what we feel we can achieve together,” said the 2007 world champion. “This is a team that values hard work over words and this fits well with my style. I am looking forward to next year and hopefully making some steps forward towards the front of the midfield with the team.”
Giovinazzi, who made his debut as a full-time Formula 1 driver at Alfa Romeo two years ago, said the team “has put a lot of faith in me and I have done my best to repay this confidence with hard work and commitment.
“We have achieved some good results and I feel I have done my part to make the team progress, but the road ahead is still long and there is much more we want to achieve together. There will be a lot of continuity between this season and the next one, so everything we work on between now and the end of the year will already count for next, and we are ready to give it all we have.”
With both seats at Alfa Romeo filled for the 2021 F1 season, Ferrari is expected to place Formula 2 championship leader Mick Schumacher at its other customer team, Haas, next year.
Alfa Romeo confirmed yesterday a one-year extension of its title sponsorship and overall branding deal with the Sauber Formula 1 team, which began in 2019. Team principal Frederic Vasseur said he was “very pleased” to have continuity in his driver line-up.
“Kimi is a driver who needs no introduction: his talent has been clear to everyone since 2001 and I still see the passion and motivation in him every time I see him at work. He can be trusted to deliver 100% of what the car can produce and he is a true leader for the people working around him.
“Antonio finished last year’s campaign strongly and he picked up where he left off and kept improving throughout 2020. From the track to the engineering briefings, Antonio has played a crucial role for our team and he has thoroughly deserved a new contract for 2021.”
Leave a Reply