Italian-Canadian CEO of Ferrari, Sergio Marchionne, has once again heightened his intention to see Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo, who has been involved in car racing since 1911, come back to Formula 1 racing.
The Ferrari executive considers that Alfa Romeo’s presence in Formula 1 could be very useful in the development of young Italian drivers, in order for them to accumulate knowledge, experience and skills before advancing in more challenging environments, such as the Scuderia Ferrari team, as Marchionne acknowledges the fact that it would be virtually impossible for Alfa Romeo to be involved in the fight for titles from the very beginning: “Alfa Romeo in Formula One could turn out to be a fine breeding ground for young Italian drivers. We can see that they are currently struggling to find space and room to improve their driving qualities. Alfa Romeo would not only become our customer team, but most importantly could provide such an opportunity for them.” – Marchionne said, as reported by the Italian press.
Scuderia Ferrari has recently announced that the young Italian driver Antonio Giovinazzi will join the team alongside Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen as the third driver for the 2017 Formula One season. Thus, after seven years, a new Italian driver is part of the Maranello team: in 2009 Giancarlo Fisichella replaced Felipe Massa, who could not take part in the races from the second part of the season, as a result of a severe injury suffered at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
This was not the first time that Sergio Marchionne hinted at a return in Formula One for Alfa Romeo: “It is really incredible how the Alfa Romeo brand remains in people’s hearts after all this time.” – the Ferrari executive said a few months back – “And that is exactly the reason why we consider bringing it back to Formula One, as one of our competitors.”
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