Formula 1: Frosty premiere for Alfa Sauber
COLD START TO TESTING On Monday, all ten Formula 1 teams began testing their new GP racing cars in Barcelona. Despite the cold, it was a special day for the Sauber team, as the Alfa Romeo brand returned to the race track after a long absence. In 1987, Osella was the last chassis manufacturer to use an Alfa Romeo F1 turbo engine as a power unit, albeit without the slightest [...]
In 1987, Osella was the last chassis manufacturer to use an Alfa Romeo F1 turbocharged engine as its power unit, albeit without the slightest factory support. After the end of the 1983 season, Alfa Romeo had officially withdrawn from Formula 1.
Just over 30 years later, it was Marcus Ericsson's turn on Monday to make the Italian brand's physical return to a Formula 1 track. Even though the Sauber C37 is powered by a current Ferrari engine and Alfa Romeo is "only" the namesake and main sponsor.
This can also be seen on the overalls of the drivers, the mechanics and the clothing of the other team members: Basic color white with red crossbars in the chest area with white Alfa Romeo lettering on it.
It was a frosty return, however, because the very cold temperatures in the morning and the onset of rain in the afternoon did not permit a normal test program. The Swede completed a total of 63 laps in several stages, which is roughly equivalent to a GP distance. His time of 1'23.408 (11th of 13) was 3.225s faster than the best time set by Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull-Renault RB14, who also completed the most laps (105).
Marcus Ericsson: "With these cold air and asphalt temperatures, nobody really gets the Pirelli tires to work, because they are not made for that. Nevertheless, it was a good day. We were able to collect interesting aerodynamic and mechanical data, which gives us more insight into the concept of the car."
Given the circumstances, Technical Director Jörg Zander was not dissatisfied either.
Jörg Zander: "The conditions were not ideal, but that was true for everyone. We wanted to see what effect changes to the setup and aerodynamics would have, but that was difficult due to the tire temperatures being too low. On the positive side, we had a first day of testing without any technical problems, so we can continue to work in a targeted manner."
Newcomer Charles Leclerc will make his debut on Tuesday. The difference between his lap times and the top will be interesting.
