Camozzi and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen hit the track in unison

The Bahrain Grand Prix, which took place on Sunday, 20 March, was the first public event for the new partnership between Camozzi Group and the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, managed by Sauber Motorsport.

The partnership, both a technological and sporting venture, is based on the two companies' commitment to delivering excellence through cooperation and shared synergies.

Camozzi, a name with a long and successful track record within the world of Formula One, is a global leader in the production of components and systems for high-tech industrial automation in a wide range of sectors, from additive manufacturing to mechatronics, through to the modelling of production processes.

Natural match

“With such a varied spectrum of state-of-the-art applications, Camozzi's know-how makes it a natural match for Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN and Sauber Technologies, the Sauber Group's entity dedicated to translating the company's motorsport know-how into the wider world,” says Camozzi.

The partnership agreement also includes a new talent and knowledge exchange programme through the creation of a joint development lab involving the Camozzi Research Centre (CRC) in Milan, Italy, and the Sauber Technologies headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland.

Camozzi branding is featured on the sidepod air inlets on the team's C42 cars, driven by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, as well as in the team's garages and on other team assets.

Long history of excellence

Frederic Vasseur, team principal of Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN, comments: "The Camozzi Group is a natural fit for us: they have a long history of excellence in Formula One and they understand our requirements and need for precision and excellence. In addition, there are many potential crossovers between their work and that of Sauber Technologies, a company within the Sauber Group. These synergies are what the joint projects we are going to carry out with the Camozzi Group will be about, as well as promoting a new generation of talented engineers and researchers."

Rising to the technological challenge

Lodovico Camozzi, President and CEO of Camozzi Group, adds: "The Camozzi Group loves rising to the technological challenges of achieving excellence and Formula One is the ideal opportunity for us to showcase our technically advanced products to the world. The thought of becoming a partner with the Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN is extremely attractive not only because of the racing aspects, but also because of Sauber Technologies' commitment to innovation and its application throughout the business world. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to race with them and develop new projects together."

CAMOZZI AND FORMULA ONE: A LONG HISTORY

For the Camozzi Group, this is a long-awaited return to Formula One. In the 1980s, under the direction of Attilio Camozzi, the company first entered the world of motorsports in a successful association with Arrows Grand Prix International and drivers Thierry Boutsen and Gerhard Berger. Camozzi's sponsorship lasted until1991.

This was followed by a year at Scuderia Italia and then, in 1993, a relationship began with Ayrton Senna and McLaren. From this relationship, a lasting friendship between the Camozzi family and the Brazilian driver was born. The pinnacle of the McLaren experience came with Mika Hakkinen's victory at the 1998 world championship, in the final year of Camozzi's sponsorship.

Going further back in time, in 1926 the mechanic Rina Berardi and Count Aymo Maggi built one of the world's first single-seater racing cars in Brescia. Berardi went on to found the machine tool company lnnse-Berardi that Camozzi acquired in the 1990s and that is still part of the Camozzi Machine Tools division. Racing has been in the Group's DNA for close to a century.

PARTNERSHIP WITH SAUBER TECHNOLOGIES

Camozzi's sporting partnership with Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN complements its partnership with Sauber Technologies. At its core is a distinctive technological component, centred on a joint affinity with Sauber Technologies for advanced research and development combined with excellence and innovation.

Areas of collaboration will include the development of new materials, additive manufacturing, design, mechatronic systems and process modelling. With regard to additive manufacturing, it's important to note that Sauber Technologies operates the largest 3D printing machine park in Switzerland, while Camozzi Group manufactures MasterPrint-the largest 3D carbon and composite printer in the world.

In addition, the partnership agreement also includes a new talent and knowledge exchange programme, through the creation of a joint development lab involving the Camozzi Research Centre (CRC) in Milan, Italy, and the Sauber Technologies headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland. Technician traineeships for engineers from both companies are expected to facilitate open dialogues on the areas of collaboration.