Formula 1 Shake down and testing in Barcellona Ferrari vs Alfa Romeo

[bonno]

Hi Formula 1 enthusiasts.
Find attached link to the recent testing of Formula 1 First Shake down and testing "2018 Ferrari SF71H vs Alfa Romeo Sauber C37".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eijcVd1WUQA

[Colin Edwards]

The Alfa Sauber certainly improved over the three days of the Oz GP.  Still a long way to go however but looks promising.  Up until now Sauber has steadily dropped of the pace.
One area where FCA / Fiat / Alfa Sauber need to improve is marketing.  Not one thread of Alfa mechandise available at the track!!!  As early as Friday morning one stall holder told me "you have to be about the thousandth person that asked me where the Alfa Sauber gear is on sale"! 

[bonno]

Colin
Shame about the non availability of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Teams marketing products and have indicated such on their Facebook page (Refer to the F1 Facebook page). But doesn't the colour scheme and appearance of the car look absolutely superb.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/AlfaRomeoSauberF1TeamFans/posts/?ref=page_internal

[Colin Edwards]

Given Peter Sauber sold the team to a Swiss investment company a couple of years ago could we eventually see the Sauber name dissapear?  Could the team morph into an Italian equavalent of Torro Rosso?  Could we see a more red than white car?  Might explain the non-existent merchandising!
No doubting LeClerc has the talent and speed.  No wonder he's at Alfa Sauber gaining experiance.  As one of Ferrari's future drivers, it would make sense for FCA / Fiat to take a controlling interest in this new team.  Maybe they have.  The cars were given a lot of screen time at the GP! 

[Craig_m67]

Colin
Shame about the non availability of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Teams marketing products and have indicated such on their Facebook page (Refer to the F1 Facebook page). But doesn't the colour scheme and appearance of the car look absolutely superb.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/AlfaRomeoSauberF1TeamFans/posts/?ref=page_internal

... is this not available ? >>https://shop.sauberf1team.com/en/2018-season/replica-shirt/

I've not tried to buy

[bazzbazz]

I think they were referring to nothing was available trackside.

Considering they are a new team amalgamation maybe merchandising just simply isn't in the budget?

I noticed one or two teams during the wet practice before qualifying, stated that they "simply couldn't afford to go out on the wet track and risk breaking something" and they were actually referring to the monetary side of it.

[poohbah]

In terms of marketing, they should also get on the blower to Sky Sports. On all the lists/timesheets/placings Sky showed on screen, the team was listed as Sauber Ferrari, next to an Alfa logo. Obviously that is to denote their engine supplier, but I don't recall Haas being described as Haas Ferrari, or McLaren being called McLaren Renault, or even Williams Mercedes.