It’s been 30 years since Alfa Romeo was last
represented in Formula One (beyond a logo on Ferrari’s car). But that dry spell
comes to an end today with the reveal of the new Alfa Romeo Sauber C37.
Stemming from the partnership announced this past November, the Swiss team
brings the Italian marque back into the fold with the car you see here.
Though closely mirroring what we saw in December,
the livery marks a clean departure over those that Sauber has run in recent years.
And that comes down principally to the new title sponsor. Beyond the shape of
the car it adorns, the only major difference with this livery over the demo
car’s is the inclusion of Alfa Romeo’s iconic cloverleaf badge – the same
that’s adorned performance-oriented and racing Alfas for nearly a century now,
from the RL that won the Targa Florio in 1923 to the latest Stelvio
Quadrifoglio.
Underneath the red and white color scheme and the
sponsor logos, the new C37 marks more of a revolutionary than evolutionary
approach over last year’s C36. That comes down partially to the new
regulations, with their revised aero format and new “halo” cockpit protection
device.
Power comes once again from a 1.6-liter turbocharged
hybrid V6 provided by Alfa’s sister-company Ferrari. But with closer factory
support, Sauber won’t have to do with the previous year’s power unit as it did
last year. That in and of itself could make a huge difference for the team that
finished dead last in last year’s championship, beaten out even by a struggling
McLaren and Ferrari’s other customer team Haas.
Making the most of the new chassis and engine
package will come down to a returning Marcus Ericsson and his new teammate
Charles Leclerc. The young Monegasque pilot joins Sauber from the Ferrari
Driver Academy with the Formula 2 title in hand (to go with his previous GP3
trophy). We’ll be watching to see how they do. But one way or another, it’ll be
good to see Alfa Romeo back on the grid again.
