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- Alfa Romeo, formerly known as Sauber, took care not to rely too much on their technical partner Ferrari.
- The team leads the race for the “best of the backmarkers” against Haas and Williams this year.
- Team boss Frederic Vasseur is certain that the teams will turn around from 2021 and start working on 2022 at the beginning of next season.
Alfa Romeo’s Formula 1 team boss Frederic Vasseur insists that his team is not a Ferrari satellite operation in the same sense as rival Haas.
Haas, says Vasseur, is much closer to Ferrari. Alfa Romeo plans to stay further afield.
“I don’t want to criticize the Haas model because everyone has their project, their structure, their limitations,” he said. “We have our factory, our own wind tunnel, we do a lot ourselves. These are our strengths and we have to make the most of them. We will continue in this direction.”
Frederic Vasseur, left, and Haas’ Günther Steiner
Bryn Lennon – Formula 1Getty Images
According to Vasseur, the team’s technical alliance with Ferrari will run until the end of the year and “we are currently in talks.”
“It’s in the DNA of this team to be independent,” said Vasseur. “With the new rules in particular, it will be important to manufacture certain parts yourself, as this will have less of an impact on the budget. We have the structure in our company to do this.”
Alfa Romeo go into the last four games of the eighth season of the F1 constructors’ championship with eight points. Haas is one place lower in the overall standings with three points, while Williams is still aiming for his first point of the season.
Vasseur admits that the corona crisis is particularly damaging to teams like Alfa Romeo and Haas. When asked if Alfa Romeo will sacrifice the 2021 season to prepare for 2022, he said, “Everyone will do the same. Everyone will switch to 2022 as early as possible.
“Nobody can afford to leave the new era far behind. Then you’re done.”
Regarding the incoming budget cap of $ 145 million, Vasseur added, “My biggest concern isn’t the budget cap because we’re under it anyway. It’s more about income if this corona crisis continues.”
What do you think of “B-teams” or “satellite teams” in Formula 1? How closely should mid-pack teams be able to coordinate with the big big factory teams from Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault? Take part in the discussion.
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