Sauber F1 team rebrand as Alfa Romeo Racing

Paris - Formula One team Sauber have rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing for the 2019 season, the Swiss outfit announced on Friday, ending 25 years of competing under the Sauber name.

Alfa Romeo had already been the title sponsor of Sauber last year when the team was known as Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 team.

"It is a pleasure to announce that we will enter the 2019 Formula One World Championship with the team name Alfa Romeo Racing," said team principal Frederic Vasseur.

Former world champion Kimi Raikkonen will lead Alfa Romeo Racing in the 2019 world championship after the Finn's move from Ferrari, supported by the inexperienced Italian Antonio Giovinazzi.

Alfa Romeo, which dropped out of Formula One in 1987, won the first two world titles with Giuseppe Farina in 1950 and Argentinian five-time champion Juan Manuel Fangio in 1951.