Sauber Confirm Giovinazzi for 2019

[Paul Jeffrey]

One of the more sought after remaining Grand Prix seats has been filled today as Alfa Romeo Sauber confirm Antonio Giovinazzi will partner Kimi Raikkonen next season.

Giovinazzi has been touted as a potential Sauber driver seemingly from the very first race of the 2018 season, the 24- year-old Italian being part of the Ferrari young driver scheme and a sometime third driver for the Swiss squad.

However, with the surprise move of Raikkonen to the midfield outfit confirmed during the Italian Grand Prix weekend, many expected Sauber to retain Marcus Ericsson once again, the Swede having close links with Longbow Finance, the key financers behind the former Canadian Grand Prix winning outfit.

Despite a minor upturn in form for Ericsson in recent weeks, it looks like the Ferrari link won out in the end, with Giovinazzi having been confirmed alongside Raikkonen for 2019 in what is the first all new line up for Sauber since 2014. Ericsson will continue with the outfit next year, having taken a role as third driver and brand ambassador for the steadily improving squad.

With Leclerc Ferrari bound and Ericsson stepping aside, Team Principle and Sauber CEO Frédéric Vasseur is understandably delighted with his new line up:

“We are very pleased to reveal the complete driver line-up for the 2019 season. We first signed Kimi Räikkönen, an extremely experienced driver who will contribute to the development of our car and will accelerate the progress of our team as a whole. Together with Alfa Romeo, we are delighted to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi, who will take the place of Charles Leclerc. We have already had the opportunity to work with him in the past and he has proven to have great potential. We are very determined and motivated. Our target is to continue progressing and fighting together for positions that count.”​

Having secured a long awaited full time drive in F1, having made his debut last season in place of the injured Pascal Wehrlein, Giovinazzi appears keen to build on what has become a strong reputation in the sport:

“I am delighted to be joining the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. This is a dream come true, and it is a great pleasure to have the chance to race for this team. As an Italian, it is a huge honour for me to represent a brand as iconic and successful as Alfa Romeo in our sport. I would like to thank the Scuderia Ferrari and the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team for giving me this great opportunity. I am very motivated and cannot wait to start working towards achieving great results together.”​

With the completion of the 2019 plans now announced, realistically just seats at Williams, Toro Rosso and potentially Haas remain up for grabs, with Racing Point Force India expected to confirm Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez in the coming weeks.

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Happy to see Gio finally confirmed at Sauber? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!​

 

[Nick Gregory]

Sadly, the average talent of F1 drivers for next year will still drop by 10% next year.

EDIT: Scroll down a little before you dislike.

 

[Jacco van der Zaag]

Because?

 

[Koen Verlinde]

We're just waiting on Mick Schumacher with Haas-Ferrari now.

 

[Scherzzo]

We're just waiting on Mick Schumacher with Haas-Ferrari now.

Would be very suprised, maybe as a test driver

 

[Rodent]

Cool. Much as I've enjoying having a Swede back in F1 it was pretty clear Ericsson is not the next Peterson. Perhaps in time Rosenqvist or Joel Eriksson will get a shot, the rest of the talent pool seems mostly busy with Rallycross.

Having said all that, I'll reiterate: Cool. Giovinazzi has worked hard for this chance and I'm glad to see an Italian back in F1, especially now that two Italian marques are represented. Having Räikkönen as a teammate will only help to sharpen an already talented driver as well. Things are looking bright indeed for what was so little time ago the massive underdog of F1.

 

[Leonardo Chaves]

According to rumours, Ferrari by contract is allowed to choose 1 of the Sauber drivers and Kimi Raikkonen wasn't it, that was Sauber's choice.

It is curious that Longbow gave up on Ericsson after his best season, but yeah lower tier talent, won't be missed, hopefully he finds a series where he can be competitive.

 

[beachamor]

its nice to see a driver got a seat on talent,and not daddy buying him a seat,stroll,while this hack,be racing the real talent estaban,is out of a seat,but perez and stroll bring money,not talent,i guess thats the new norm money equal talent

 

[Samuel Fuller]

I hope Williams are taking notes.

 

[paracletus]

Thought that Alonso would take that seat.

 

[Diogo Goetz Brand]

At lest we'll have one less pay driver next year.

 

[GianmarcoFiduci]

Great news, he's an hell of a driver, people will remember only the crashes in China, but he was unbelievable in his GP2 campaign, and also in Australia with that crappy 2017 Sauber. Very happy of course, as an italian, to have again an Italian driver on the grid .. Kimi + Italian driver + Alfa Romeo Sauber... seems like I have a new team to support

 

[Nick Gregory]

Because?

Because Alonso won't be in F1 next year.

 

[Koen Verlinde]

Would be very suprised, maybe as a test driver

These days F1 silly season is full of surprises to be honest.

 

[rubaru]

We're just waiting on Mick Schumacher with Haas-Ferrari now.

Mick is still in F3. Needs to win in F2 to understand things better.

 

[Kjell81d]

If 2019 is a major shake up year, in 2021 heads are going to explode.

 

[rubaru]

If 2019 is a major shake up year, in 2021 heads are going to explode.

I am actually very excited for that. First off, we don't know who the new rookies would be that season. There are so many current contracts expiring after 2020. And, I suppose the new rules might allow another team to join in.

 

[Louis Lockshine]

We're just waiting on Mick Schumacher with Haas-Ferrari now.

Isn't he in the Mercedes driver academy?

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Isn't he in the Mercedes driver academy?

Not in any academy afaik.

Merc jrs are Ocon, Russell and Andrea Kimi(!) Antonelli (Italian 11yo)

 

[BazzaLB]

I thought Vandoorne was going to be an F1 sensation based on his amazing preliminary results where he blew everyone away. How wrong I was, so until the guy gets in an F1 car, its anyone's guess how well he will do.