Why Alfa Romeo’s Simola 2026 Campaign Meant More Than Podiums

The Simola Hillclimb has never been the kind of event where brands can survive on heritage alone. Between the unforgiving one-run pressure, the mix of supercars and purpose-built machinery, and the sheer unpredictability of the weekend, reputations are tested as quickly as lap times are set.

That was especially true at the 2026 edition of the event, where Alfa Romeo South Africa arrived with something to prove.

What followed became one of the more quietly impressive campaigns of the weekend. Five official entries. Five podium finishes. A class victory for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio against purpose-built Dakar machinery. A podium for the Junior Elettrica Veloce on what marked the first competitive motorsport outing globally for Alfa Romeo’s first fully electric model.

Yet the significance of Alfa Romeo’s Simola weekend stretched beyond silverware.

This was not a manufacturer arriving purely to celebrate heritage or display beautiful Italian sheet metal under the Knysna sun. The team arrived with intent. Factory-backed entries stood alongside privateers, technicians and partners worked in unison behind the scenes, and every result seemed to reinforce the same message: Alfa Romeo still understands how to build cars with character.

The Stelvio Showcase

If there was one result that captured the attention of the Alfa camp most, it was the performance of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

On paper, it almost sounds absurd. An SUV lining up against Ferraris, McLarens, GT-Rs and purpose-built race machinery on one of South Africa’s most demanding hillclimb courses. Yet by the end of the weekend, Janus Janse van Rensburg had not only defended the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s B9 class title, but done so with a 49.876-second run that placed the SUV firmly in serious company.

To put that into perspective, the Stelvio recorded a faster time than an Audi R8 GT4 and an Ariel Atom 2, while remaining within touching distance of far more exotic machinery. Even among the broader Simola field, the result carried weight because the Stelvio never relied on stripped interiors, dramatic aero packages or race-car compromises to achieve its pace. It remained unmistakably a performance SUV, complete with the character and theatre that has long defined the Quadrifoglio badge.

For Janus Janse van Rensburg, however, the challenge extended far beyond a single run up the hill.

“There is a certain switch that needs to be ‘flicked’, to block out all the corporate and back office noise and focus for that time and period on the job at hand,” he explained.

“I instantly move into my happy space and then the game is ON.”

That switch matters even more given the world he operates in outside of Simola, where he oversees Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Leapmotor locally. The contrast between corporate responsibility and trackside intensity is not a small one, and it shaped how his weekend unfolded.

Compared to last year’s outing, preparation was also notably different.

“To be honest, I prepared less, I spend less time in the vehicle due to my corporate responsibilities running all three brands; Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Leapmotor,” he admitted.

“The last time I actually drove this specific Stelvio Q was at the Speed Classic Cape Town in October last year.”

Yet even with reduced seat time, the expectation inside the Alfa Romeo camp remained high. Because at Simola, performance is not only about individual laps, it is about execution across an entire operation.

“It most definitely involves all these factors, we need to be consistent on all fronts,” Janus said.

“We represent the brand on the weekend/event, and all elements around the back-office arrangements with regards to planning, logistics, performance, etc. must be on point and portray the Alfa Romeo brand values, image and so forth.”

That responsibility extends beyond just driving fast. It is about coordination, discipline, and keeping the entire structure aligned under pressure.

“Having strong individuals in the team meant that duties and responsibilities could be assigned and were executed well on the weekend,” he continued. “Don’t get me wrong, some things do go wrong and not as planned but that always creates an opportunity to improve, recover by re-assessing, re-aligning your plans and execute in such a manner that no one person in the public space even knew that something went wrong… that is the key.”

Even with that complexity behind the scenes, the result on paper remained simple.

A class victory for the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. A statement performance in one of Simola’s most competitive categories. And another reminder of why the Quadrifoglio badge still carries weight when it matters most.

More Than A Factory Effort

While the Stelvio Quadrifoglio may have delivered the headline result, Alfa Romeo South Africa’s broader Simola campaign was arguably even more impressive for what it represented collectively.

Driver	Vehicle	Class	Result
Janus Janse van Rensburg	Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio	B9	1st
Trevor Tuck	Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce	A8	3rd
Art Denisov	Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio	A3	3rd
Andre Steenkamp	Alfa Romeo 4C	B10	2nd
Tony Casey	Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio	B10	3rd

For Alfa Romeo, the Junior Elettrica Veloce’s podium was not simply another trophy added to the tally. Simola marked the first competitive motorsport outing globally for Alfa Romeo’s first fully electric production model, placing the car in an unusual position. It was tasked with carrying both the expectations of a historic performance brand and the uncertainty that still surrounds enthusiast perceptions of electric cars.

Yet the Junior seemed to achieve something many modern EVs struggle with: it made people feel something.

Growing up, Alfa Romeo was never a brand I naturally gravitated toward. Like many younger enthusiasts, I knew of the history and the racing heritage from a distance, but never quite emotionally connected with the brand itself. Ironically, my real introduction to Alfa Romeo came not through one of its legendary combustion-powered icons, but through its first electric car.

After spending time with the Junior Elettrica Veloce earlier this year, it became easier to understand why Alfa Romeo approached Simola with such confidence. The car does not feel designed purely around efficiency figures or futuristic gimmicks. It looks like a proper car first, something that unfortunately cannot be said for many EVs that resemble appliances on wheels more than enthusiast machines.

In Veloce trim especially, the Junior feels unmistakably Italian. The aggressive wheel design, the Sabelt seats and the overall sense of occasion give it genuine personality before the car has even moved an inch. Then comes the drive itself.

Having experienced everything from diesels and hybrids to 3.0-litre V6-powered performance cars, the Junior Elettrica Veloce remains one of the best-driving cars I have spent time in. Not because it chases outrageous numbers or tries to reinvent driving entirely, but because it still prioritises engagement, character and enjoyment in a way many modern cars have forgotten.

That may ultimately be Alfa Romeo’s greatest achievement at Simola 2026. Not simply proving that its cars can compete, but proving that even as the brand moves into an electrified future, it still understands the emotional side of driving that made enthusiasts fall in love with the badge in the first place.

The People Behind The Results

For all the attention naturally placed on podium finishes and lap times, one of the more revealing parts of Alfa Romeo South Africa’s Simola campaign came from the way the team itself spoke about the weekend afterwards.

Again and again, the focus returned not just to performance, but to people.

In reflecting on the effort behind the scenes, Janus repeatedly emphasised the importance of alignment between drivers, technicians, partners and privateers. Simola may only last a few days, but campaigns of this scale are built long before the first car ever reaches the start line.

“Key strategic partnerships is key to the success of such a campaign,” he explained. “Aligning your brand with other strong brands and partners sharing the same principles, values and especially passion, allows each other to benefit from the combined exposure, activations and opportunities.”

That collaborative spirit became one of the defining themes of Alfa Romeo’s weekend. Factory-backed entries shared the hill with privately entered Biscioni, while support teams such as Autopitstop played a major role in keeping the operation running smoothly behind the scenes.

Rather than feeling divided between official efforts and independent enthusiasts, the Alfa camp appeared united by a shared obsession with the brand and the event itself.

Andre Steenkamp’s reflections after the weekend perhaps captured that atmosphere best.

“The result is nice, but not the main prize,” he said. “The main prize is extracting the absolute maximum from what you have and leaving it all out there.

Like many drivers at Simola, his mind had already moved towards the next evolution of the car: more power, revised setup, aerodynamic tweaks and the endless search for more speed up the hill. But even then, the competition itself was not what stayed with him most.

“What stays with me is a fantastic time with friends and family as crazy as I am about speed, racing and Alfas,” he reflected. “It is the people that make racing enjoyable.”

That sentiment arguably explains why Simola continues to hold such a unique place within South African motorsport. Yes, it is a fiercely competitive event filled with enormous pressure and serious machinery. But beneath all of that sits something far more human: a gathering of people connected by obsession, passion and the constant chase for a better run.

At Simola 2026, Alfa Romeo South Africa proved that heritage still matters. More importantly, it proved the brand is still capable of creating new enthusiasts too. 

And judging by the pace of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the growing confidence around the Junior, and Janus Janse van Rensburg’s final message after the weekend, the story is far from over.

“Next year we chase the 47s.”