Sauber launch catch-up car after dismal 2017

SAUBER presented the first Formula One car of their new Alfa Romeo partnership yesterday, with a flurry of preceding sponsor announcements pointing also to a sounder future after a dismal 2017 season.

The Swiss-based team finished that campaign last overall, with Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson failing to score any points, after using a 2016 Ferrari engine rather than the latest specification.

The new C37 car, with prominent Alfa branding on a red and white livery replacing the previous blue and white, was presented on the team’s website and across social media.

“The aerodynamic concept has changed significantly, and the C37 has several new features in comparison to its predecessor,” said technical director Joerg Zander.

“We are positive that the new concept offers us more opportunities and will help us to make improvements during the course of the season.

“The 2018 Ferrari engine will also give us a boost in terms of our performance.”

Alfa Romeo, a brand in the

Fiat Chrysler (FCA) stable which is also run by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne, have a long history in the sport dating back to the pre-war years and the birth of the world championship in 1950.

The first two world championships in 1950 and 1951 were won by Italian Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina and Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio in Alfa cars, but the Italian marque has been absent for more than 30 years. REUTERS