Sauber has been a Ferrari F1 customer team since 2010 and forged closer ties with the Italian manufacturer by adopting the name of its sister brand Alfa Romeo in 2019.
The existing contract between Sauber and Ferrari expires at the end of this year, leading to suggestions that the Swiss outfit could be a possible option for Renault as a new customer team.
However, Motorsport.com assumes that a contract has been signed between Sauber and Ferrari for a new contract for the supply of engines 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 powerplant and a Ferrari transmission, indicating an expansion of the current agreement.
Renault lost its final F1 customer roster, McLaren, late last year and is keen to work with new partner teams in the future, leading to suggestions that could be linked to Sauber.
Although team principal Frederic Vasseur has a good relationship with the Renault team, where he briefly worked in 2016, the Sauber team’s shareholders are keen to achieve stability by continuing to work with Ferrari.
An extension of the deal will keep Ferrari’s political position on the F1 grid intact. Two customer teams stand next to the factory team.
Sauber has been driving with Ferrari-affiliated driver Antonio Giovinazzi since 2019, while growing relationships are expected with Haas, who will make his F1 debut this year, Ferrari Schreiberakademie member Mick Schumacher.
It is not yet clear whether the team will continue to operate under the Alfa Romeo name after 2021. New discussions are expected after the merger between the parent company Fiat Chrysler and the PSA Group, which forms the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the world under the name Stellantis.
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In October, Sauber announced an extension of its partnership with Alfa Romeo by one year. Both parties also worked 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 squad.
“I don’t want to talk about the financial aspect, but it sure is part of it,” Vasseur told Motorsport.com.
“Rather, it’s the motivation you can add to the team, the activity 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 are now working a lot together on the automotive side. I think it’s a good partnership for the company. “
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