Swiss Formula One team Sauber has rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing through an extended agreement with the Italian automotive marque.
Alfa Romeo first partnered with Sauber in November 2017, and in 2018 the team was officially known as Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.
Sauber said the existing long-term partnership has now been extended, with the ownership and management of the team to remain unchanged and independent.
The team finished eighth in the F1 constructors’ championship last season, having finished bottom the previous year. This year, the team’s cars will sport Alfa Romeo’s four-leaf clover emblem as part of the new arrangement.
Frédéric Vasseur, team principal of newly-named Alfa Romeo Racing, said: “After initiating the collaboration with our title sponsor, Alfa Romeo, in 2018, our team made fantastic progress on the technical, commercial and sporting side.
“This has given a boost of motivation to each team member, be that track-side or at the headquarters in Switzerland, as the hard work invested has become reflected in our results. We aim to continue developing every sector of our team while allowing our passion for racing, technology and design to drive us forward.”
Last year marked Alfa Romeo’s return to F1 for the first time in over three decades. It took part in F1 from 1950 until 1988, both as a constructor and an engine supplier. In 1950 and 1951, Alfa Romeo won the inaugural drivers’ world championship with Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio.
From 1961 until 1979, Alfa Romeo participated as engine supplier for several F1 teams. The company returned in 1979 as a constructor before exiting Formula One in 1985.