On Tuesday, Alfa Romeo presented their new challenger and new livery for the upcoming F1 season, as the Sauber-run operation look to build on a P6 finish in last year’s constructors’ standings. Last year – during the season – it was not possible, and the concept we had followed last year, we were of the opinion that [it] had come to a sort of plateau, and to unleash the next level of performance, we had to do all those changes that have been quite a journey for us, because it’s a big, big, complex part we had to re-do. According to Alfa Romeo, the Tonale Q4 can cover up to 42 miles on electric power alone, or 50 miles if you’re just driving around town. The plug-in Tonale can also return up to 217mpg while emitting 29-32g/km of CO2, which is how it attracts the same eight per cent Benefit-in-Kind tax rate as the latest BMW X1 PHEV, and well below the 14 per cent BiK rate for the equivalent XC40.

GIULIA SPECIALE: elegant, it is equipped with a leather steering wheel and a 25W Bi-Xenon light signature. It is available with petrol or diesel engines of 160, 190 or 200 hp. Although the car is described as an “evolution” over the C42, Monchaux oversaw “a major change of architecture” at the rear-end during the winter period, covering the suspension, gearbox, cooling layout, bodywork and more – all while taking into account ride height and diffuser rule tweaks.The experts at Euro NCAP gave the Tonale the full five stars for safety – the same as all the rivals. It comes with adaptive cruise control that can read road signs and alter your speed accordingly, and lane-keep assist with lane centring that’s said to work even at low speeds in traffic. The concept we followed last year, we felt had come to a plateau and to unleash the next level of performance we had to do all these changes. The Alfa Romeo C43 will be driven by Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas. Sauber Alternatively, you can go for the front-wheel drive, mild-hybrid version of the Tonale. It uses a new four-cylinder 1.5-litre petrol engine paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and 20bhp electric motor. This combination produces 158bhp in total and allows the car to run on electric power when you start it up, at low speeds and when parking.

The plug-in hybrid Tonale Q4 is the most powerful variant in the range, producing 271bhp all-in and offering all-wheel drive. The 1.3-litre petrol engine under the bonnet sends its power to the front wheels, while the single electric motor fed by a 15.5kWh battery drives the rears. Former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl has been appointed as managing director to lead the team into its new era while Alessandro Alunni Bravi has been appointed team representative.Speaking at Alfa Romeo’s car launch, Monchaux commented: “We identified areas where we thought there was still potential for us to unleash, potential we wouldn’t be able to unleash in the 2022 season.