Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc rolled into the Malaysia race weekend trading their usual weekend garage of classic supercars and superbikes for matching Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce sports saloons, motorsport.com reported. Hamilton drove a Misano Blue model, while Leclerc arrived in the brand’s signature Alfa Rosso red.
Trading Supercars for Four-Door Sedans in Malaysia
The two Scuderia Ferrari drivers chose the four-door sedans for their track arrival. In Malaysia, the Giulia Veloce stands as the sole trim level available for the model.
Under the Hood: Power and Performance Figures
Under the hood, the Giulia Veloce features a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The powerplant generates 276 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque.
Power travels to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic gearbox paired with a limited-slip differential. The saloon accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, reaching a top speed of 240 km/h.
Cabin Layout and Aluminium Appointments
Inside the cabin, aluminium paddle shifters sit behind the steering wheel. The interior also houses a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.
Tracing the Historic Ties Between Ferrari and Alfa Romeo
The appearance of Hamilton and Leclerc in Alfa Romeos highlights a historic connection between Ferrari and its Italian neighbor. Enzo Ferrari raced an Alfa Romeo in the 1920s before founding Scuderia Ferrari in 1929.
During those early years, Scuderia Ferrari supplied the drivers and racing operations while Alfa Romeo provided the machinery. By 1947, Ferrari began building its own racing cars and moved away from Alfa Romeo chassis.
The 1950 Championship Dawn and Early Dominance
When the Formula 1 world championship began in 1950, Ferrari entered as an independent entity and stands today as the oldest surviving team in the sport. Alfa Romeo dominated that inaugural 1950 season, fielding drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Giuseppe Farina, with Farina securing the world title.