[Alfamack]

Alfa Romeo 'must consider' F1 return, says Ferrari president - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com


The boss stating something that he obviously has already talked about within FCA

 

[MalcQV]

Great idea. Two teams to support :thumbs:

 

[Ruskins]

I would think that DTM, WTCC, or WEC would bet better for flogging road cars and also tread on less toes.

 

[Greener123]

Ferrari sub team would be ok but not ideal,

Touring car type racing would be best

 

[duemila]

Maybe this time the engines will be better and not drop oil everywhere

 

[Dave Brand]

Now that Alfa has a full range of vehicles on the market & is making big money, there's cash to spare on a vanity project like F1.

Meanwhile, back in the real world:

Is this more of a political move than a genuine interest in the future of the business sport? Having two teams involved would give FCA much more clout within F1.

As has been said, a much better way of spending less money & getting much more publicity would be WTCC or one of several national touring car championships. It's a sad state of affairs that the only time you're likely to see an Alfa leading a race on TV is when the Safety Car comes out.

 

[Top Down]

This is very dangerous, just look how successful Honda has turned out to be.

 

[BANANA S0UP]

Would love to see Alfa in F1. Things are changing in the F1 circus and i belive for the better. It will be very interesting not this year but diffinatly 2017

 

[Razor1955]

For an intelligent industrialist he does talk a load of cr** doesn't he?

He will be long retired by the time they have a workable power unit so maybe he doesn't care? Or they could use Ferrari engines with an AR badge - but that isn't really Alfa Romeo is it? On top of that F1 is having it's own popularity struggles right now. And did I mention the cost?
I think they should up his medication and keep him away from the Press.

 

[cannotstop]

I would think that DTM, WTCC, or WEC would bet better for flogging road cars and also tread on less toes.

Can only agree.
There is no way an Alfa can win ahead of a Ferrari and get away with it, and for it to be a backmarker would just be painful to watch.

If Alfa, however, went into a different race series, then it would stand on its own two feet and be judged on its own performance, not in relation to its "mother team".

 

[MalcQV]

They would most likely end up being the Fwawari B-team.

 

[Dave Brink]

The FCA CEO said that Alfa Romeo can design its own engine and chassis... Ferrari stole the Selespeed system for their roadcars, Alfa is perfectly capable of running their own F1 team. Just my two cents.

 

[Ralf S.]

The nay-sayers will love this I'm sure... but it's interesting that Sergio can even talk about an Alfa return to F1. Even last year, it would have seemed a little ambitious.

I'm guessing he knows where Alfa really is with its new model roll-out... I'd be optimisitic that it is "some way further up the road" than everybody (who doesn't know) might think. Obviously it has to actually happen but the way things seeeeeem to be going, the next few years will be interesting. Let's face it, you already knoe what 2019's BMW, Audi and Merc's are going to look like (i.e the same as today, but a bit different). The markets should welcome something new.

Then there's Ferrari. Ferrari is a big fish in a biggish pond... and the only way to make Ferrari more valuable (think Sergio the accountant) is to make it a big fish in a bigger pond. You'll only get a big pond if F1 is more "interesting".. Now single team domination could be a bit tedious... but even assuming Seb thrashes everyone in 2016-17.. then the sport is still interesting if Alfa and even VW/Audi/Bugatti/Lambo is in it rather than JackJones and Katussia Racing.

I don't think Alfa would be a back-marker.. you imagine they buy out Sauber (for instance) and get a better spec' Ferrari engine and some extra money to make the whole thing 5% better.. all of a sudden you're in the top 5 teams.

I dunno anyone who watched WTCC so forget that. And 1994 didn't really make the 155 a hot seller. F1 is the only one that makes sense.


Ralf S.

 

[MalcQV]

The FCA CEO said that Alfa Romeo can design its own engine and chassis... Ferrari stole the Selespeed system for their roadcars, Alfa is perfectly capable of running their own F1 team. Just my two cents.

I'm sure you're right, but they won't. Think about it. Why re-invent the wheel. Look at Honda whom have been a big F1 player in the very recent past and still how they struggled last year.

It would be silly to design an engine from the ground up. Start with an in-house engine first.

As for the Selespeed if you want to get technical it is actually Magneti Marelli design. I believe it all came from F1 anyway. The Ferrari 640 of 1989 was the first F1 car to use flappy paddles.

 

[duemila]

lightning doesn't strike twice, and anyway more participation will just dilute their already fantastic record in F1

 

[Squadrone Rosso]

This is very dangerous, just look how successful Honda has turned out to be.

And Toyota. Best budget, worst results!

 

[PR]

There is absolutely no way Alfa would produce an F1 engine. Re badge a Ferrari engine maybe.

Its ironic that they want to increase the sharing of platforms / engines in their everyday cars and talk about developing brand new in the F1 world!

Its all market spin. It gets Alfa talked about in F1 terms without any commitment.

 

[David WB]

They should probably consider using some funding to return a car... to the forecourt first. :lol:

 

[Ruskins]

I would think a DTM championship would be a deal more valuable if they are trying to beat Merc & BMW at their own game.

 

[giblets46]

Yeh seems crazy they are reducing investment on one hand.
In terms of F1, a buy out would be the best way forward, but who?
Force India, toro Rosso (Italian and using Ferrari engines this year), manor racing, sauber?


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