F1 team name change imminent as 'surprise' planned within the next week

04 December 2023 , 16:11

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Alfa Romeo branding will disappear from the F1 grid (Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Sauber are planning a "surprise" for their 2024 branding after the end of their deal with Alfa Romeo.

The Italian carmaker has a rich history within Formula 1. For the last five years it has been the title sponsor of the Swiss-based team, but its success came at the dawn of the sport when Alfa drivers won the first two championships in the early 1950s.

From next year, the Sauber team will no longer bear Alfa Romeo branding as parent company Stellantis has decided again to pull out of the sport. It is due to become the Audi works team from 2026 when the German carmaker enters F1 for the first time.

For the two seasons in between, it remains to be seen how the team will be branded. The Sauber name has been used on the official entry before, but team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi has hinted at a different approach.

"In Formula 1, the team name is also depending from commercial partnership," said the Italian. "On the 10th of December, as soon as the FIA will publish the entry list, we will of course announce a new team name. I think it will be a surprise.

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"We cannot wait to start the partnership with our new partners, we will have I think a really fresh approach in terms of communication, marketing, and we will do a launch of the car here in the UK."

Alunni Bravi had previously made clear his belief that the team will not simply be treading water until the Audi partnership formally commences. He said: "It's not a limbo period, we build our future here and now, it's not that there is a separation between the Sauber period and the Audi period.

"We are working since the beginning of the year with our group CEO Andreas Seidl for this transformation process. The entry of Audi in Formula 1 as of 2026 is big news for the entire F1 community, not just important for Sauber to be chosen as a strategic partner. I think all Formula 1 will benefit from this."

From the performance side, the team did not have a competitive car this year - but driver Valtteri Bottas is pleased by what he knows of the plans for the 2024 machine. "In this sport, with the margins we have, it's everything. There's nothing fundamental," said the Finn.

"The good thing is we do have a completely new car with some new ideas, with new people in the team, and that's exactly what we need now, so we need to make big steps over the winter - that's the key."

Daniel Moxon