Jean-Philippe Imperato, CEO of Alfa Romeo, refused to deny that Audi could buy the Sauber Formula One team.
Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imperato refused to deny that Audi could buy the Sauber Formula One team.
Currently, Stellantis - of which Imperato is a senior executive - has a naming agreement with Sauber until the end of 2025.
However, there are rumors that Audi, a Volkswagen brand, will buy the team after the FIA finalizes and announces the engine regulations for 2026.
"Now it's 2022," Imperato told the during a visit to the Austrian GP last weekend.
"We are dealing with the recession and other current problems, but I am planning such a sponsorship every three years."
"At the moment, I have no idea about 2026, but we will also cooperate with Sauber in 2023 and 2024. We have a long-term agreement that is evaluated annually."
However, he says he is completely satisfied with the current scheme.
"When we talk about working with Sauber, yes. And when it comes to the return on investment, again yes," Imperato insisted. "The cooperation with Sauber is going extremely well."
"I see that Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu love their Alfas. There has been clear progress from the team towards 2021 and that is a positive story."