F1 Rumour: Alfa Romeo Lose Co-Title Partner And Robert Kubica Ahead Of 2023 Season

Alfa Romeo have removed Orlen from their list of partners.

It has been rumoured that Alfa Romeo have parted ways with their co-title partners Orlen after the team have removed the Polish company from their list of partners, which could mean that Polish driver Robert Kubica will lose his reserve driver role. 

The Decal Spotters Twitter account shared the news to their followers, writing:

"ORLEN has been removed from the list of @alfaromeoorlen partners. The Polish company joined the team in 2020, featuring on various team assets and in the team's entry name.

ORLEN has been removed from the list of @alfaromeoorlen partners.

The Polish company joined the team in 2020, featuring on various team assets and in the team's entry name.#F1 #AlfaRomeo #ORLEN pic.twitter.com/lV97nvpsZQ

— Decalspotters (@decalspotters) January 19, 2023

The team have not made an official announcements so this has not been confirmed yet, however, this has not stopped F1 fans from speculating in the comments. The main talking point is what this means for the teams reserve driver, Robert Kubica. 

Kubica is the first, and only, Polish F1 driver and joined the team as a reserve driver in 2020, as part of the deal with Orlen. One fan wrote commented on the post on Twitter:

"So it would be fair to assume Kubica isn't reserve driver for 2023 then as they are his sponsor?"

So it would be fair to assume Kubica isn't reserve driver for 2023 then as they are his sponsor?

— Michael (@vforvatic) January 19, 2023

Other fans started trying to guess what the reason behind the separation is. Someone else commented:

"Part of Orlen was acquired by Aramco last year so that could be the reason why"

Part of Orlen was acquired by Aramco last year so that could be the reason why

— Nejc Paradiz (@Nejc_48) January 19, 2023

Adding to other recent rumours that Gulf will be returning to the sport as a named partner, another Twitter user suggested this could leave an opening for Gulf to come in. They wrote:

"Kubica out, Gulf in(?)"

Team principal at the time, Frederic Vasseur, made the following statement in 2020 when they started their partnership with Orlen:

"The exciting new partnership with PKN ORLEN is a statement of intent for both parties. It is proof of the ambition of our common project and of our desire to compete at the very top of Formula One. PKN ORLEN support for excellence finds a perfect partner in our team. We are also delighted to welcome Robert back home and we cannot wait to start working with him. He is a driver that needs no introduction: one of the most brilliant in his generation and one who displayed the true meaning of human determination in his fight to return to racing after his rallying accident. His feedback will be invaluable as we continue to push our team towards the front of the grid.

“The partnership between PKN ORLEN and Alfa Romeo Racing, together with the remarkable and never-ending support of Alfa Romeo, means we can create a valuable platform not only for the global promotion of our brands but also for Formula One and all automotive fans. We are looking forward to years of success together.”

We will keep our eyes out for any official confirmation from Alfa Romeo.