Raikkonen debuts 2019 Alfa Romeo F1 car

Alfa Romeo Racing’s 2019 Formula 1 car has been pictured on track for the first time at a shakedown test in Italy. 

New signing Kimi Raikkonen gave the recently renamed Sauber squad’s 2019 car its first outing at Ferrari’s Fiorano test circuit on Thursday. 

The team completed 100km of running as permitted in F1’s rules as it used up one of its two promotional days to shake down its new challenger. 

Earlier on Thursday, Alfa Romeo had teased a new-look black-and-red livery featuring a casino-style pattern, which appeared on the car as it hit the track.

Raikkonen will be partnered at the rebranded outfit by Ferrari protege Antonio Giovinazzi as Alfa Romeo looks to build on the eighth-place finish it secured in 2018 under its former Sauber guise.