The team formerly known as Sauber wore the Alfa Romeo logo for the first time in 2018, before adopting the name of the Swiss outfit in 2019.
It was the first official engagement of the brand, which won the world championship in 1950 and 1951, in F1 since its departure after the 1985 season.
The move was made due to closer coordination with Alfa Romeo’s sister brand Ferrari, which also includes the takeover of engines, transmissions and other parts from Maranello.
It was one of the first important decisions Vasseur made when he joined the team in 2017. On his first responsible day, the Frenchman had terminated a contract to take over Honda engines from 2018.
In addition to the close collaboration with Ferrari, Vasseur has described the increasing bond with the Alfa Romeo brand as essential for the development of the team.
It has taken eighth place in the constructors’ championship for the past two years, but slipped from 57 points in 2019 to just eight in 2020.
“It’s crucial for us,” said Vasseur when he was asked by Autosport about the Alfa merger.
“I don’t want to talk about the financial aspect, but it sure is part of it.
“Rather, it’s the motivation you can add to the team that you can afford the recruiting for the company’s development.”
“The fact that Alfa Romeo, the first world champion, is extending the contract with us and wants to develop the partnership further is a nice reward, but not just a reward, but a next step for us.”
The deal goes beyond a simple renaming, as Sauber Motorsport was also involved in the development of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and GTAm road vehicles with its Hinwil wind turbine.
Vasseur explained their collaboration on automotive projects, adding, “Even if it’s outside of the Formula 1 world, I think it’s important to build a close working relationship between the two companies, and it’s the future of the collaboration that too we have to press ahead in this direction.
“Sure, I know perfectly [well] that we also need to improve performance on the right track, that not only is it better to do aero development, but that we need to have a global approach and package.
“But the automotive side is part of the partnership and it’s critical if you want to develop the partnership between the brand and the Formula 1 team.”
