Robert Kubica will remain Alfa Romeo reserve driver after confirmation of the continuation of the team’s title partnership with ORLEN.

The Polish fuel and lubricants company has been the title sponsor of Alfa Romeo since 2020, during which time Kubica has acted as reserve driver for the team, making race appearances at Zandvoort and Monza this year after Kimi Raikkonen tested positive for COVID-19.

Although there had been uncertainty over the team’s future ownership due to significant talks with Andretti Autosport in recent months, the collapse of that deal has enabled Alfa Romeo to confirm Guanyu Zhou as its second race driver alongside Valtteri Bottas, and now extend the ORLEN deal into 2022.

“We are delighted to extend our successful partnership with PKN ORLEN into its third year,” team principal Fred Vasseur said. “ORLEN are an instantly recognizable brand in a vast and growing market and they have proven a loyal supporter of the team; their presence underlines and reinforces our resolve to be one of the most attractive teams in the sport for global brands.

“Most importantly, we share a commitment to constant improvement, whether on track or in their business, and we are determined to keep growing together. Their activation campaign has been of the first order, reaching fans all over Europe and expanding access to the team and the world of Formula 1 and we can’t wait to unveil the next stages in this program.”

The Sauber-run team also confirmed its ongoing collaboration with Alfa Romeo earlier this year, retaining the iconic name into the new regulations next season.