The Italian Job

We’ve been waiting for this moment all year: the Italian Grand Prix week is finally here.
Monza is a unique place. You can feel Formula One oozing out of every square inch of tarmac, as you walk on the hallowed ground on which all the great drivers and great cars have written incredible pages of our sport’s history. You feel your legs wobble as you climb to the top of the old banking and you take in all that Monza brings to the table: this circuit puts together legendary corners, the most passionate fans in the whole calendar and one of the most visually impressive podiums in the world. Walk onto this strip of asphalt in the middle of the Royal Park and you know you’re in the presence of the true embodiment of Formula One.

For us, this race has a special meaning. Alfa Romeo is one of the historical marques of Italian motorsport and to come to Monza sporting this prestigious logo on our livery is a huge honour and responsibility. Winner of six Italian Grands Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, including in the first Formula One World Championship season in 1950, the Alfa Romeo brand has a proud history dating back more than a century – a history of which we are writing the most recent chapter this season.

These are just some of the many reasons we cannot wait for this weekend. We will be out there, giving tribute to the Alfa Romeo heritage, to the passion driving us and to the tifosi that make the Italian Grand Prix what it is. We will be out there, racing with all our cuore. We hope you’ll be with us.

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG:

“The Italian Grand Prix is a very important one for us, both on and off the track. It is a special race, the closest to our HQ in Hinwil, and it’s the home of the Alfa Romeo brand, so we are especially motivated to do well. The championship is entering its crucial stages and all is there to play for, but we really need to convert our competitiveness into points. We have shown to have good pace in qualifying and the race, but we must get it all together on race day to produce the results we deserve. Everyone in the team is working really hard and I am confident we can get the job done this Sunday.”

Kimi Räikkönen (car number 7):

“Last weekend’s race effectively ended at the first corner for me, so I hope for a better one in Monza. We showed in qualifying that our car can be very competitive, but that means nothing if you don’t score points on Sunday. We need to do a good job from the start to the end of the weekend and then we can look at what result we bring home.”

Antonio Giovinazzi (car number 99):

“Racing in Monza as an Italian driver is an incredible feeling, so I am looking forward to my first Formula One race there. I know there will be a lot of support for both the team and myself and I want to have a good race to give something back to the fans. We know we can do well here but we will need to give everything to make sure we finish in the points.”