The C41 is an evolution of the C39, the 2020 car. During the pandemic-affected 2020 season, regulations permitted teams to carry over their 2020 cars into 2021 as a cost-reduction measure. Alfa Romeo had already begun development of what would have been the C40 before the new technical regulations were pushed back from 2021 to 2022; that designation was retained internally and the 2021 car adopted the C41 designation.
The FIA introduced a token system to allow limited development of carried-over cars. Alfa Romeo spent their token allocation on improving the nose of the C41, adopting a slimmer design aimed at redirecting airflow more effectively over the bargeboards.
Journalists and technical analysts Mark Hughes and Giorgio Piola described the C41 as the most improved car relative to its 2020 equivalent, assessing it as both more powerful and more aerodynamically competitive than the C39 predecessor. They attributed the gains to a combination of Ferrari power unit development and Alfa Romeo's own aerodynamic improvements.
The 2021 season saw the C41 operate in the midfield, with the team achieving a more competitive showing than the preceding year. The car benefited from the Ferrari power unit improvements that also assisted Scuderia Ferrari's return to competitiveness.
Räikkönen and Giovinazzi were both set to complete their seasons at Alfa Romeo, but the team announced during the year that Räikkönen would retire from Formula One at the end of 2021, with Giovinazzi also departing at season's end to be replaced by Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou for 2022.
At the Styrian Grand Prix, the C41 carried a special livery commemorating the Alfa Romeo automaker's 111th anniversary. For the Italian Grand Prix, the team ran in Italian tricolour colours.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix featured particularly poignant livery messages. Räikkönen's car read "Dear Kimi, we will leave you alone now" — a reference to his famous radio message from the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he was asked to focus on managing his tyres. Giovinazzi's car read "Grazie di tutto, Antonio" ("Thanks for everything, Antonio"), marking his final race with the team.
The C41 holds a sentimental place in Alfa Romeo Racing's history as the car that carried Kimi Räikkönen through his final Formula One season. Räikkönen, a former World Champion, concluded his Formula One career at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, bringing to a close one of the sport's longest and most distinctive careers. The C41 also marked the end of Antonio Giovinazzi's stint with the team after three seasons. Technical assessors' recognition of the C41 as the most improved car of its generation gave the team a credible exit point for both drivers before the sweeping 2022 regulation changes brought an entirely new car in the form of the C42.
Gallery · 1 related image
