Rumours of Sauber’s switch to Renault circulated Formula 1 platforms in the recent days after the French team lost its final customer squad, McLaren, at the end of the year. However, Autosport has learned that Sauber has no intention of leaving Ferrari after all.
Furthermore, Sauber is set to extend the partnership with the Italian team until the end of 2025, when the new engine era is to begin. Having been a Ferrari costumer team since 2010, Sauber shareholders have no intention in changing that as they’re eager for stability in the current economic climate.
Although, the agreement is yet to be signed, the design of the 2022 Sauber chassis has commenced, accounting for the dimensions of a Ferrari power unit and gearbox. However, it is still unclear whether the team will continue to race under its current name beyond 2021, following the mearger of between parent company Fiat Chrysler and the Peugeot Group under the new name of Stellantis.
An extension of agreement between the pair will keep Ferrari’s political power intact, with two costumer teams alongside its works squad. When announcing a one-year extension last year, Sauber’s team principal Frederic Vasseur said that the partnership was “curcial” for the Sauber squad. “I don’t want to speak about the financial aspect but for sure it’s a part of this,” Vasseur told Autosport. “It’s rather the motivation that you can add into the team, the activity that you can afford the recruiting and for the development of the company for the future of the company, that we need to have this kind of internal motivation. The fact that Alfa Romeo is extending the deal with us and want to develop the partnership, for sure it’s a nice reward. But it’s not just a reward, it’s a next step for us. We are collaborating a lot on the automotive side now. I think it’s a good partnership for the company.”
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