Alfa Romeo has presented its 2023 Formula 1 car ahead of its final season in partnership with Sauber.

The Hinwil-based outfit heads into 2023 off the back of its best-ever season in the V6 hybrid era, finishing sixth in the constructors’ championship.

While it finished level on points with Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo claimed P6 thanks to having better results, with its fifth place finish at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix proving instrumental in pipping the British car manufacturer.

Having scored the majority of its points in the first half of 2022, Alfa Romeo is aiming to improve how its develops its car over the year as its performance faded through last season.

Reliability also proved a major headache for the team last year as it suffered several mechanical failures over the campaign.

Alfa Romeo’s 2023 F1 challenger features a revised red and black livery that includes new title sponsor Stake, with the team the first to physically launch the car it will race with this season.

The addition of 10-time grand prix winner Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes proved a masterstroke signing, with the experienced Finn’s proving a key asset.

Bottas scored 46 points in the opening nine races and regularly made it through to Q3 when the car was at its most competitive, ending the season in the top 10 of the drivers’ championship.

Rookie team-mate Zhou Guanyu faired well in his first full season of F1, with the high point being becoming the 67th driver to claim a points finish on debut in Bahrain.

The pair form an unchanged driver line-up for the Swiss-based team as the biggest change comes in the form of the departure of team principal Fred Vasseur to Ferrari.

Although Alfa Romeo has not appointed a direct successor, Sauber managing director Alessandro Alunni Bravi will represent the team at all races in 2023, while Andreas Seidl has been poached from McLaren to become its new CEO.

This year marks the final year of Sauber’s partnership with Alfa Romeo that began in 2018, as the team builds towards its future as Audi in 2026.

The C43 will take to the track in a shakedown run in Barcelona before pre-season testing begins on February 23-25 at the Bahrain International Circuit.