Alfa Romeo C39 breaks cover at Fiorano

Alfa Romeo has revealed the first images of its 2020 Formula 1 car, the C39, with Kimi Raikkonen completing a shakedown test at Fiorano.

Running a special all-black snake-inspired shakedown livery, Alfa Romeo is using Ferrari’s private test track to complete the first running of its new C39 F1 car before heading to pre-season testing next week.

Raikkonen has been charged with undertaking the first laps in the C39 at the shakedown test, with the team set to officially unveil its 2020 challenger on the morning of the first day of pre-season testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday February 19.

The Finn completed 33 laps of the Fiorano track without any reported problems. The team will now head to Barcelona to prepare for pre-season testing. 

Alfa Romeo Racing has an unchanged driver line-up of Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi for a second consecutive F1 campaign, while it has hired Robert Kubica as reserve driver for 2020. The move has also seen Orlen join Alfa Romeo as official co-title sponsor of the Sauber-run F1 squad.

The Swiss team will be hoping to build on its eighth place finish in the 2019 F1 world constructors’ championship having enjoyed a strong start to the season before fading as the development race intensified between the midfield teams.

Alfa Romeo did enjoy a late boost at the hectic Brazilian Grand Prix where Raikkonen grabbed fourth place and Giovinazzi claimed a career-best fifth place following a post-race penalty for Lewis Hamilton.

Raikkonen is set to surpass Rubens Barrichello’s record for most F1 race entries and starts this season. Following the postponement of the Chinese Grand Prix, Raikkonen will celebrate taking the record for most F1 race starts at the British Grand Prix - assuming he makes the start of each race this year.

Even snakes have a heart.
Happy Valentine's Day... #C39 pic.twitter.com/mNaUyfrlrD

— Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN (@alfaromeoracing) February 14, 2020