New sponsorship deals allow Alfa Romeo to spend closer to the budget cap in 2022: Vasseur

Alfa Romeo will be able to loosen the purse strings a bit after securing new sponsorship deals. Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur has said that this will allow them to operate close to F1's existing budget cap.

F1 introduced expenditure limitations on all teams in an attempt to bring the field closer together, competitively. The cap for 2021 was $145 million. For the forthcoming 2022 campaign, it has been further reduced to $140 million.

Vasseur discussed his team's financial situation during an interview with Autosport where he said:

"We still have some negotiations in progress, on the sponsor side and so on, but I think we'll be very close to the budget cap. This is a mega opportunity for the company. I'm convinced of that. I'm not just speaking about the company, but even for the team, to know that you are at the limit. This is a different approach, different mentality. It will be a good push for everybody."

In addition to having a monetary boost, Alfa Romeo are also looking forward to seeing Valtteri Bottas team up with Chinese rookie Guanyu Zhou. The mix of experience and youth the driver pair bring to the table is something Vasseur is counting on working to their advantage.

At Alfa Romeo, Bottas hopes to foster a partnership with Zhou akin to the one he shared with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

Alfa Romeo boss hoping for Guanyu Zhou to emulate Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc

Frédéric Vasseur has revealed he hopes to see Guanyu Zhou follow in the footsteps of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

Zhou is the first Chinese driver to secure an F1 seat and will make his debut with Vasseur's team. In this aspect he is already set to follow in Leclerc's footsteps. The Monegasque driver was with Alfa Romeo prior to his high-profile move to Ferrari.

Vasseur is expecting Zhou to disrupt the grid like the aforementioned Verstappen and Leclerc. Both drivers did not let their age stand in the way of their driving style. He said:

“If you have a look at the last couple of seasons, it seems to work for the young kids. With Max Verstappen, he came into F1 without a large background. With Charles [Leclerc], he did well the first season. With [George] Russell, with [Lando] Norris, they did well in the first season. We have different tools compared to the past with the simulator but I think that, also, the young kids are much more mature today than they were 20 years ago.”

Zhou will not have a chance to race in his country China in 2022 but the event does intend to return for the 2023 calendar.