Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake took the covers off their new Formula 1 car, the C43, in Zurich today thus kicking off their 2023 F1 campaign.
The Hinwil-based team enters the 2023 season with considerable change, as other than having a new Title sponsor in the form of Stake resulting in a new name, they also have a new CEO, Andreas Seidl who joined the team from McLaren over the winter after what was a case of team bosses musical chairs.
The arrival of Seidl aims to spearhead the new era the team ushered with Audi, the two parties announcing their partnership to enter F1 in 2026.
Thus, Audi will not only enter F1 as a power unit supplier, but a works team, and in that course, Sauber announced that the German Automaker have bought a minority stake in their group.
On the drivers’ front, Alfa Romeo will field an unchanged lineup with Valtteri Bottas starting his second season with the team while teammate Zhou Guanyu shakes off the rookie badge as he also enters his second year in F1 and Alfa Romeo after a quietly impressive debut in 2021.
Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake – Statement
Lean, mean and absolutely gorgeous. Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake unveiled its 2023 challenger, the C43, at a launch event held jointly in Zurich and at the team headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland, and the world of Formula One has an early contender for the title of most beautiful car on the grid already. The C43, in a striking livery of red and black, will guide Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu in the 2023 World Championship as the team seeks to continue on its path of constant improvement.
As the drivers pulled the covers from the car in the team’s Hinwil base, a series of CGI images and videos of the C43 were released to media and fans alike, bringing the new Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake car to life in all its glory. In an impressive unveil video, the C43 emerged from raw materials and atomised parts, the resulting assembly symbolising the way the team is a union of individuals that come together, each playing an important part in ensuring Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s success. In a further enhancement of the fan experience, the C43 was also made available in Augmented Reality, for all fans to bring it into their homes, in an interactive journey developed by team partners, JigSpace.
In a further push to bring the car back to the community, the C43 show car unveiled by the drivers was put on auction, via Memento Exclusives on www.f1authentics.com, with the bids opening at the same time of the drivers’ presentation on stage.
The livery, designed by Alfa Romeo’s Centro Stile, incorporates the growing array of brands associated with the team, with prominent locations for Alfa Romeo and new title partner, Stake, as well as new acquisitions which underline the team’s growing attractiveness to businesses in all kinds of sectors. Over the last few season, Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake has emerged as a leader, among Formula One teams, in finding fresh approaches to marketing, with unrivalled levels of access and a constant push for innovation that extends beyond technical matters.
Following the Hinwil unveil, the drivers then joined Team Representative, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, and Technical Director, Jan Monchaux, as well as reserve driver, Théo Pourchaire, at the TV studios in Zurich to meet a selection of fans, brought closer to the team for this occasion, and to take part in an online press conference with international media.
Designed by the technical team led by Jan Monchaux and powered by a new Ferrari power unit, the C43 is an evolution of last year’s successful challenger, the C42: however, due to the circumscribed but significant changes in the regulations brought in by the FIA, the C43 incorporates several updates and complete new parts, with its overall development path still promising a steep improvement curve.
The car shed its “winter livery”, a work of art by graffiti artist BOOGIE, and it’s now ready to hit the track in a shakedown session, scheduled for this week in Barcelona, and for winter testing in Bahrain, at the end of the month.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Managing Director of Sauber Group and Team Representative
Bravi said: “Bringing a car to life is a long process which touches every department of a racing team, therefore it’s a moment of great pride to see it unveiled today. We chose to do it in front of our fans, close to our home, because the launch of a new car is not only a moment to state your objectives for the season ahead: it’s also a time to give back to the people who have supported you, be it in the grandstands, in front of the TV or back at the factory, and express our gratitude for their passion and their belief in our project. Our new car is the results of months of work, but today is just the beginning of a journey: we need to keep working hard, with humility and dedication, to bring performance to the track. Everyone in the team is committed to this target and we are confident we will reap the rewards of our work.”
Jan Monchaux, Technical Director of Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake
Monchaux added: “I am very proud of what we have achieved over these last months, because creating a new car is always a massive effort from the team. This car is an evolution of last year’s, reflecting the new regulations and introducing major changes in the areas where we found improvements to be needed. I hope it’s going to be quicker than the successful car we had last year, that’s what matters most, and more reliable as well: we have put a lot of effort in this direction. Now, it’s time to get to the track and see how this car performs. I’m happy to get back to racing and I’m confident there will be much more to come from us soon.”