(Motorsport) Formula 1 team Alfa Romeo have unveiled their ‘lean and mean’ C43 car in a launch held jointly in Zurich as well as Sauber’s nearby headquarters in Hinwil. Unlike previous seasons where the Italian manufacturers have featured a red and white livery, Alfa Romeo have now moved on to an aggressive red and black look with new title partner Stake prominent throughout. The car will be tested this week in Barcelona before featuring in pre-season testing on February 23-25 in Bahrain, a week before the season begins in the same country.

Former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas said “I really like our new livery. I think it’s stunning, and a fine evolution from last year.” 2023 will be the final season Sauber, who have raced under the guise of Alfa Romeo will feature in Formula 1 as Audi will be a part of Formula 1 from 2026.

The Italian manufacturer had an impressive 2022 season, going from backbenchers to the midfield, finishing sixth ahead of Aston Martin by adapting brilliantly to the change in Formula 1 rules. The likes of Haas, Williams and Red Bull have already unveiled their 2023 cars and AlphaTauri will be the next team to unveil their car on February 11th, 2023.

Alfa Romeo’s Frederic Vasseur has departed to Scuderia Ferrari which has resulted in the team moving to a different management structure. Andreas Seidl has been signed from McLaren as CEO while Alessandro Aluni Bravo will feature as team boss. The Italian manufacturer has promised that the C43 will improve as the season goes, predicting a ‘steep improvement curve’. Alfa Romeo have said that all cars will be half a second slower than their 2022 counterparts due to the rule changes but will find pace as the season goes by.

“Our new car is the result 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,” said Bravi. Everyone in the team is committed to this target and I am confident we will reap the rewards of our work.”

Bottas added: “We made some pretty solid progress together [last year], and now there’s only one direction to follow: up, higher, and better. There is obviously still work to do and things to improve, but I am confident we have it in ourselves to aim for even higher results this year. I cannot wait to go back to racing, I am fully charged and eager to get the new season started.”

Also read: Williams Racing reveal new car and Gulf Oil partnership for 2023 season