F1: Marchionne dismisses Alfa/Sauber link

Sergio Marchionne believes Alfa Romeo should pursue internal options for any potential return to Formula 1 rather than looking at existing teams such as Sauber.

Earlier this year Marchionne, the CEO of Alfa's parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, made it clear he wanted the brand back in F1 in some form. With the prospect of Alfa's return gathering traction, it has been linked of late with a potential takeover of Sauber. The Swiss-based team is currently encountering financial difficulties that have resulted in its staff being paid their salaries a few days late for the past two months.

Ferrari president Marchionne, however, has suggested if Alfa Romeo does make a comeback, it will do so either as part of the Fiat Chrysler organisation, or with the Scuderia itself.

When asked about the speculation regarding an Alfa Romeo/Sauber tie-up, Marchionne told Autosport: "There are perhaps other alternatives for Alfa if they wanted to come back into the race. It is a very close cousin of Ferrari, and you should start looking at your family first before you start looking outside."

It is now 31 years since the Alfa name last graced F1, competing as a works team between 1979 and 1985 but failing to win any races. Before that, Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio used Alfa Romeo cars to win the first two F1 world championships in 1950 and '51. Its other major F1 programme was as engine supplier to Brabham from 1976-79, in a partnership that brought two grand prix wins with Niki Lauda in '78.

Originally on Autosport.com