Frederic Vasseur says he is confident team backer Alfa Romeo is not about to pull out of Formula 1.

The current contract runs out late this year, and there have been rumours that the project - the brainchild of late Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne - will be axed.

But Vasseur, in charge of the team formerly known as Sauber, is upbeat.

"When we started the partnership with Alfa Romeo, it was clear to both sides that this was for the long term," he is quoted by Speed Week.

For now, the Swiss-based team's focus is on having a better season than 2019.

"I see Alfa Romeo-Sauber as a racing team in growth," Vasseur said.

"We took a nice step forward in 2018, now we want to repeat that in 2020 and further reduce the gap to the top."