Alfa Romeo F1 Team Produces Its Own Documentary

The Alfa Romeo F1 team has launched its own documentary program.

The first episode was released on YouTube on Thursday.

Titled "Beyond the Visible," the five-episode series will take viewers behind the scenes of the team throughout the 2022 F1 season, according to an Alfa press release. In other words, it is like a compressed version of Netflix's "Drive to Survive" with a special focus on Alpha.

The first episode, called "Before We Hit the Ground," is an introductory one, explaining the team's structure. The Alfa F1 team is actually the Swiss Sauber team, but has been using the Alfa brand since 2015, dropping Sauber from its official name in 2018. Part of this is the close relationship with Ferrari, with Alfa using Ferrari-related drivers and using Scuderia power units.

"They [Sauber] are leaders in engineering, aerodynamics, and design. Alejandro Mesonaro, Alfa Romeo's chief designer, said in the video. But at Centro Stile (where Alfa is headquartered), we bring this legendary brand to life. We design a livery and a legacy that embodies the passion of Alfa Romeo. Our style meets Alfa Romeo engineering, and the result always exceeds."

The video details how 500 people work in the team and are supported by the automotive brand. Every year a new car is built, and the process begins in the wind tunnel. The aero team works with race engineering and vehicle dynamics to maximize the car's performance. Drivers use simulators in the factory to help develop the cars and learn the race track. Says Axel Kruse, CEO of Sauber Technologies and Director of Sauber Motorsport Operations.

However, Alfa's contract with Sauber will end after the 2023 season. Alfa announced this hours after Audi announced that it plans to enter Formula One in 2026, leading to speculation that the German manufacturer will partner with the Swiss team.

Alfa has a long history in Grand Prix racing, dating back to the pre-war years before the current F1 championship existed. Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio were the first two Formula One driver champions, driving Alfas in 1950 and 1951 respectively. Alfa returned to Formula One in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but with poor results.

The current Alfa Romeo F1 driver roster consists of rookie Zhou Guangyu, the first Chinese driver in F1, and Valtteri Bottas, who left the Mercedes-AMG team at the end of the 2021 season to make way for George Russell. The team currently sits sixth in the constructor standings with 51 points. Bottas is 10th in the standings with 46 points, while Zhou is 17th with 5 points.