Formula 1 drivers travel around the globe throughout a championship season, and naturally, it won’t be practical for them to have their vehicles shipped along with them for each race weekend. Hence, they often get cars to drive to and from the circuit daily during a Grand Prix weekend. Therefore, during the Australian GP weekend, the Ferrari boys were treated to two exquisite Alfa Romeo cars.
According to revered F1 photojournalist Kym Illman, both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who secured an epic 1-2 for the team, were seen rocking up to the Albert Park street circuit in the Alfa Romeo Tonale. The cars cost around $50,000 each, according to Illman.
Fans would’ve expected to see Leclerc and Sainz turn up in their respective Ferraris; however, Illman explained why that was not the case. Illman described the trip to the circuit as a “dusty” affair with a very compact parking area—unsuitable for a Ferrari. On the other hand, the Tonale is a compact SUV, tailormade for the terrains of Australia leading up to the Grand Prix venue.
There’s a historical spin to Leclerc and Sainz’s rides being an Alfa, too. As it turns out, while Alfa Romeo is currently under the ownership of Fiat-Chrysler, there was a point in time when the two automobile icons were a unified entity, according to Continental Autosports.
Alfa Romeo turns out to be a lucky charm for Ferrari at the 2024 Australian GP
Alfa Romeo officially quit the sport last year as they ended their partnership with Sauber, which is gearing up to be reborn as Audi from the 2026 season onwards. However, their presence at the Australian GP paddock with Leclerc and Sainz turned out to be a lucky charm for the Ferrari duo.
Sainz went on to register an epic victory, ending Max Verstappen’s winning streak after enduring appendicitis surgery just days prior. Leclerc, on the other hand, slotted right behind his teammate as they scored the team’s first 1-2 finish since the 2022 Bahrain GP.
The team is keen to make the most of the momentum as reports have also suggested that Ferrari is preponing their scheduled Imola upgrades for the 2024 Japanese GP instead. That being said, despite a promising weekend in Melbourne, Leclerc has admitted that there is still a long way to go before they catch up to the dominant Bulls.
