System 1 | Tavares: No Alfa Romeo return to F1 for ‘ethical reasons’

Alfa Romeo will return to motorsport’s premier division – but it probably won’t be Formula 1.

The Italian automaker left F1 at the end of last season, when the naming contract with Sauber ended and the Swiss team continued its current transition to Audi F1.

And from the perspective of Alfa Romeo’s parent company Stellantis, led by CEO Carlos Tavares, there is regret that the F1 dream is over for now.

“When you look at the return on investment, Formula 1 is probably the best marketing tool,” Tavares said at the last round of Formula E in Misano, Italy.

“In terms of media impact, this is the best category. Before the budget limit, spending was between 100 and 500 million euros per year.”

“The cost cap is a great tool to balance costs and return on investment, which is why Formula 1 is the best marketing tool in racing.”

Alfa Romeo’s agreement with Sauber was mostly about marketing, but the carmaker was involved to some extent on the technical side in cooperation with the team’s supplier Ferrari.

“System 1 is a great tool for developing hybrid technology,” continues Tavares. “The only problem they have is that they will face a ban on combustion engines by 2035.”

Indeed, from 2035, fuel road vehicles will be banned in Europe, if the agreement is not revised by then. What should F1 do if this is confirmed?

“This is a question for the leaders of Formula 1,” This is Tavares. “What will you do when the auto industry faces a ban on combustion engines?”

“So far they have used hybrid technology to help make batteries and many other devices, but they still have this strategic problem to solve.”

He also claims that the cost of Alfa Romeo’s involvement in F1 from a financial point of view is also difficult to justify.

“We have to make moral arguments and think about the people I have in the factory, who count the pennies to be able to compete in the zero-mobility market with Asian competitors. How can we – I look the workers in the eye and tell them we spend 20 million on Formula 1 while they ask for a few pennies?

“It’s a moral question that I’m very concerned about, because I’m very close to my crew. From a moral point of view, it’s also a problem for Formula 1.”

Words that will undoubtedly cause people to react when his annual salary will be close to 40 million euros!

However, Tavares said he would nevertheless revive Alfa Romeo’s participation in the first series – without giving any indication of what series that might be.

“Motorsport is part of the brand’s DNA. The decision may not be made before the end of this year, but Alfa Romeo will definitely be back.”

“Every sports series lives in a cycle: a good start, an expansion, an explosion, a decline and then we start again. So it is important to enter the championship at the right time.”