The Sauber-run team claimed the much-coveted sixth place position in the standings, albeit level on points with Aston Martin, thanks to a countback to Valtteri Bottas' fifth place at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix bettering any finish from either Sebastian Vettel or Lance Stroll.
Having struggled with pace relative to Aston Martin at the Abu Dhabi finale, and a precarious four points ahead going into the round, Alfa elected to sacrifice its own results to frustrate the British squad to preserve its grip on sixth - worth around $10-12m in added prize money.
