Alfa Romeo’s F1 Comeback Bid

With just two victories as an engine supplier, Alfa Romeo's return to Grand Prix racing had not (yet) lived up to the high expectations. The 1950 and 1951 World Champion struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of development in Formula 1. The 179 F1 campaigned by Autodelta from 1979 was continuously updated for the better part of three seasons but without noteworthy results.

To change the odds in Alfa Romeo's favor, the Italian manufacturer had obtained the services of Gerard Ducarouge halfway through 1981. The talented French designer had previously been responsible for Le Mans-winning sports racers and, more importantly, the Grand Prix-winning Ligiers. He started with making further changes to the 179, but despite clinching a first podium finish, he quickly realized a clean-sheet design was needed for 1982.

Appropriately dubbed the 182, Alfa Romeo's latest Formula 1 car was a response to the latest development: the introduction of carbon-fiber composite chassis by McLaren early in 1981. Like McLaren, Autodelta did not have the in-house capability to produce such a sophisticated chassis and instead relied on a British supplier. The first carbon tub had actually been constructed in 1981 along the lines of the 179, and the new 182 was visually similar.