See F1 drivers test the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA

The Formula 1 driver couple from Alfa Romeo recently put the new Giulia GTA sports sedan through its paces at the automaker’s Balocco test site in Italy.

In a promotional video published on Tuesday, Kimi Räikkönen and Antonio Giovinazzi shot a few laps on a test track in camouflaged Giulia GTA prototypes. They were supposedly called in to provide feedback on the GTA’s adjustable rear wing, but more value was likely gained by emphasizing the connection between the F1 team and the GTA road car.

“I think they are a perfect mix of everyday and racetrack use,” said Raikkonen, the famous taciturn Formula 1 champion of 2007, in a statement on the aerodynamic upgrades of the GTA.

In addition to the development work at Balocco, the GTA also spent some time in the F1 team’s wind tunnel in Hinwil, Switzerland, according to a press release on the video. The location of the tunnel is a reminder that the current Alfa team was originally a Sauber F1 team. Alfa came on board as the title sponsor for the 2018 season, and the Sauber name was removed for the 2019 season.

Kimi Raikkonen drives a 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA prototype

The GTA introduced earlier this year is a hardcore variant of the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The name GTA was first used in the 1960s for the original Giulia and is the abbreviation for Gran Turismo Alleggerita, Italian for “Grand Touring Lightened”. The original Giulia GTA was a special racing homologation special with only 500 copies built for the street.

The modern GTA is actually made up of two cars – the standard GTA and the extra hardcore GTAm. Both are not designed for racing, but have some race track-ready aerodynamic features, including a front splitter and a redesigned lower shell. The GTAm gets the above-mentioned adjustable rear wing as well as a slimmed-down interior with a roll bar instead of the rear seats and front racing shells with six-point seat belts.

Both cars receive the 2.9-liter V6 with twin turbocharging from the Giulia Quadrifoglio, but with an output that has been increased from 505 hp to 532 hp. These ponies push 220 pounds less than the Quadrifoglio and allow a 0-62 mph shot per Alfa of 3.6 seconds with launch control.

Based on the original Giulia GTA, production is limited to 500 units. It’s unclear whether Alfa will offer the GTA in the US, but the standard Giulia and Quadrifoglio versions will receive a handful of updates for the 2020 model year.