The First Alfa Romeo Branded F1 Car in Over 30 Years
The first Formula 1 car to bear the Alfa Romeo name in over 30 years has made its debut ahead of the 2018 F1 season.
The Alfa Romeo-Sauber C37 is the Switzerland-based outfit’s first challenger after it signed an Alfa Romeo branding deal late last year. That deal secured the latest Ferrari F1 engines for the team (it was using a 2016-spec Ferrari engine throughout the 2017 season) and also ensured its car would be flying Alfa’s red and white colors for the foreseeable future.
Observant readers may have noticed some major changes on this 2018-spec F1 car over last year’s cars. The biggest change is the addition of the ‘halo’ driver protection device, which is a new regulatory standard. The prominent ‘shark fin’ is also gone in favor of more subtle rear spine fitting. Sauber says the C37 should help it be more competitive than it was throughout 2018, and with a promising new rookie driver in the way of Charles Leclerc, things are looking up for the Swiss outfit.
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“Our target ahead of 2018 is clear: We have to catch up with the field and continue improving our performance during the course of the season,” said team boss Fred Vasseur. “We have put lots of energy and commitment into the development of the C37. I want to thank our partners and fans for their continuous support. The return of Alfa Romeo to Formula 1 sets another milestone in the team’s history, and I am proud that such a historical brand has chosen us for their return to the sport. We are eager to start the 2018 season as the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.”
The 2018 F1 season will kick off with the first tests in Barcelona on February 26th.
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Very good news. Behind the Ferrari dare I say the best looking car on the grid.