Having returned to Formula 1 in a branding deal with Sauber in 2018, Alfa Romeo re-committed to the team 12 months ago. The Italian brand has every reason to be pleased with the results since.
The team lies sixth in the championship halfway through the season, on course for its best result in 10 years. It last finished this high in 2012, when Kamui Kobayashi and impressive sophomore driver Sergio Perez took their Ferrari-powered machine to four podium finishes.
Alfa Romeo’s presence in Formula 1 is unlike many of its rival manufacturers. The likes of Ferrari, Aston Martin and Alpine operate their own F1 teams, whereas Alfa Romeo brands Sauber’s operation.
This more cost-effective approach to participating in Formula 1 makes better business sense than the huge costs involved in owning a team, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato believes. “I have probably one of the best business models in this world of Formula 1,” he told RaceFans in an exclusive interview.
Only a few years ago Sauber’s future in Formula 1 looked precarious. But the introduction of the budget cap last year has forced F1’s richest teams to scale back their spending, helping the likes of Sauber to compete.
Even with inflation rocketing in the second year under the cap, leading teams to agree a deal this month to address it, Sauber remains confident it will avoid over-spending. Alfa Romeo can therefore feel confident it gets a solid return on investment in F1 compared to those manufacturers which own teams.
“Motorsport for anybody is a fixed marketing expense,” Imparato explains. “So we designed a kind of business model of our colleagues that brings us to a reasonable level of performance and a good ROI.
“So if I compare the ROI of Alfa Romeo to any other guys who say ‘I’m doing a real Formula 1’ – okay, but you are losing money, my friend!”
Alfa Romeo’s decision to continue its presence in F1 accompanies the latest in a series of overhauls to its road car business. Imparato arrived from Peugeot in January last year and has set about refocusing the brand and refreshing its line-up of road cars.
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“In terms of priorities for me since I [took] charge of Alfa Romeo at the beginning of last year is to bring to the market quality behaviour and way of acting for this fantastic brand which is 112 years old.
“The first one,…
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