1991 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Convertable on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo returns to F1 as Sauber title sponsor

LONDON - Alfa Romeo will become title sponsor of the Sauber Formula One team next season as part of a multi-year technical and commercial partnership, both sides announced on Wednesday. "This agreement with the Sauber F1 Team is a significant step in the reshaping of the Alfa Romeo brand, which will return to Formula One after an absence of more than 30 years," Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne said in a statement. Sauber announced in a statement of their own that the team will officially be known as the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team from 2018 onwards. "Working closely with a car manufacturer is a great opportunity for the Sauber Group to further develop its technology and engineering projects," Sauber Holding AG chairman Pascal Picci said. "We are confident that together we can bring the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team great success, and look forward to a long and successful partnership."Reporting by Alan Baldwin.Related Video: Image Credit: REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino Motorsports Alfa Romeo Racing Vehicles F1 Sergio Marchionne FCA

Alfa Romeo could reportedly bring Sauber F1 tech to its road cars

In the summer of 2018, Alfa Romeo laid out its five-year plan, only weeks before former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne passed away. Alfa ambitiously projected several new vehicles of various shapes, sizes and performance levels but gave only vague details. A new report from Piston Heads adds a layer of color to the timeline, suggesting one or more of these upcoming rides could feature influence from Alfa Romeo's Formula 1 partner Sauber. PistonHeads.com recently had the chance to chop it up with Sauber Team Principal Frederic Vasseur at the F1 pre-season sessions in Barcelona, where Alfa Romeo and Sauber were testing out their just-unveiled 2019 car. According to the brief conversation, Alfa and Sauber have collaborations in the works beyond the paddock. "We are already working on another project together and you will see the result quite soon," Vasseur told PH. "It's a huge opportunity for us, but it will involve only the guys at the factory in Switzerland, as the trackside guys are focussed on the racing." Vasseur later tipped that they might have several projects in development. Without any more details, there's a lot of room for speculation, so let's quickly unpack what Alfa has already admitted to be planning. In addition to two new SUVs that will launch in the upcoming years, the performance-minded Italian brand said it would resurrect two well-known and highly desirable nameplates: 8C and GTV. Both cars will reportedly be hybrids, with the 8C serving as a halo mid-engined supercar, while the GTV will essentially be a Giulia coupe, complete with an eventual Quadrifoglio variant. Considering how great and high-powered the current Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglios already are, it seems unlikely these projects would deal with those current models. It's possible Sauber is helping Alfa Romeo with the GTV, as previous reports suggested the two-door will have F1-derived technology, but it is unclear if the coupe is coming "quite soon." It's also possible that Sauber is collaborating with Alfa on all of its upcoming performance electrification and hybrid technology. For now, it's a guessing game, but if the reports are accurate, we won't have to wait much longer to learn more. News Source: Piston Heads Rumormill Alfa Romeo Crossover Racing Vehicles Performance Sedan F1

Marchionne says no offers are on the table for Fiat Chrysler

MONZA, Italy (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler (FCA) has not received any offer for the company nor is the world's seventh-largest carmaker working on any "big deal", Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Saturday. Speaking on the sidelines of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix, Marchionne said the focus remained on executing the company's business plan to 2018. Asked whether FCA had been approached by someone or whether there was an offer on the table, he simply said: "No." The company's share price jumped to record highs last month after reports of interest for the group or some of its brands from China. China's Great Wall Motor Co Ltd openly said it was interested in FCA, but had not held talks or signed a deal with executives at the Italian-American automaker. The stock move was also helped by expectations that the company might separate from some of its units. Marchionne reiterated on Saturday that FCA was working on a plan to "purify" its portfolio and that units, such as the components businesses, would be separated from the group. He hopes to complete that process by the end of 2018. "There are activities within the group that do not belong to a car manufacturer, for example the components businesses. The group needs to be cleared of those things," he told journalists. Asked whether an announcement could come this year, Marchionne said it was up to the board to decide and that it would next meet at the end of September. He said the time was not right for a spin-off of luxury brand Maserati and premium Alfa Romeo and the two brands needed to become self-sustainable entities first and "have the muscle to stand on their feet, make sufficient cash". "The way we see it now, it's almost impossible, if not impossible, to see a spin-off of Alfa Romeo/Maserati, these are two entities that are immature and in a development phase," he said. "It's the wrong moment, we are not in a condition to do it." He said the concept of separating the two brands from FCA's mass market business made sense and did not rule out this happening in future, but not under his tenure, which lasts until April 2019. "If there is an opportunity in future, it would certainly happen after I'm gone. It won't happen while Marchionne is around," he said.