Sauber extends Ferrari F1 partnership until 2025 extend

Sauber has been a Ferrari customer F1 team since 2010 and forged closer ties with the Italian manufacturer in 2019 by adopting the name of its sister brand Alfa Romeo.

The existing contract between Sauber and Ferrari expires at the end of this year, leading to suggestions that the Swiss team could be a potential option for Renault as a new customer team.

But Autosport is aware that a deal has been agreed between Sauber and Ferrari for a new engine supply contract from 2022 to 2025.

Although the agreement has not yet been signed, there are already plans to continue the partnership. The design of the 2022 Sauber chassis has begun to take into account the dimensions of a Ferrari engine and transmission, suggesting an extension of the current agreement.

Renault lost its last Formula 1 customer squad, McLaren, late last year and is keen to work with new partner teams in the future, which has led to proposals that it could associate with Sauber.

Although team boss Frederic Vasseur has a good relationship with the Renault team, for which he worked briefly in 2016, the shareholders of the Sauber team are keen to achieve stability by continuing to work with Ferrari.

An extension of the agreement will keep Ferrari’s political position intact in the F1 field, with two customer teams alongside its factory team.

Sauber has been racing with Ferrari-related driver Antonio Giovinazzi since 2019, while a growing connection is expected with Haas, who will make his F1 debut this year for Ferrari Driver Academy member Mick Schumacher.

It is not yet clear whether the team will continue to operate under the Alfa Romeo name beyond 2021. New talks are expected following the merger between parent company Fiat Chrysler and the Peugeot Group to form the fourth largest automaker in the world under the Stellantis name.

In October, Sauber announced an extension of its partnership with Alfa Romeo by one year, with the two parties also working together on the design of the Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA and GTAm road vehicles.

Vasseur said at the end of last season that an extension of the partnership with Alfa Romeo was “crucial” for the Sauber team.

“I don’t want to talk about the financial aspect, but it is definitely one of them,” Vasseur told Autosport.

“Rather, it is the motivation that you can bring into the team, the activity that you can afford to recruit and develop the company for the future of the company that we need, that kind of internal motivation.

“The fact that Alfa Romeo is extending its contract with us and looking to develop the partnership is definitely a nice reward.

“But it’s not just a reward, it’s a next step for us. We work a lot together now on the automotive side. I think it’s a good partnership for the company.”