Alfa Romeo team boss Fred Vasseur has denied rumours the Italian brand could end their association after 2020.
The former Sauber team was rebranded for this past season as part of a closer association with engine supplier Ferrari, including investment for the naming rights to the Swiss outfit.
However, amid reported unhappiness at the idea of becoming a Ferrari 'B' team, it is thought Alfa and Sauber may split with the latter switching to Honda engines for 2021.
Vasseur though maintains both sides are committed to the future.
“When we had the discussion with Alfa Romeo the first one I called on was Peter [Sauber],” the Frenchman told Motorsport. “The reaction of Peter was important to me.
“He said ‘if you think that it’s a good step forward for the team, let’s do it and I will back you on this’. It was an important step for the company.
“It’s a long-term deal with Alfa Romeo and we can only build up something if you have the long-term or mid-term view. You can’t build up something with a project of three months.”
Also Read:
- Schumacher won't test for Alfa Romeo during 2020, Vasseur states
- Alfa Romeo suffer setback after failed crash test with 2020 car
- Raikkonen optimistic about Alfa Romeo for 2020: 'Good things are coming'
Another factor that may decide Alfa's future in F1 is the competitiveness of the team after only finishing eighth in this year's Constructors' standings with both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi struggling in the second half of 2019.
“Last year [2018] we were coming from absolutely nowhere and we were very opportunistic during the season,” Vasseur explained.
“I would say we scored roughly all the points that we could have scored.
“This season is a bit different and we are a bit less opportunistic. We missed some of our opportunities.
“But at the end we end the season with more points than last year and it’s a good step. We made a step of 0.7% [in pace] to the top teams, it’s huge.
“We can’t be completely satisfied with this, we need to do more, but I think that we can be optimistic.”
