Sauber (F1 Preview)

Sauber has been the eternal midfielder team forever and the one that comes up with a very good car setup in the beginning of the season and that goes on losing pace in comparison with other teams.

Last year they finished seventh in the constructors’ standings, most of the points coming from the first part of the season as the team managed to put a car in the points positions in the first nine out of ten races.

Still they lost the pace as other teams kept developing their cars and adding some improvements. Sauber couldn’t solve its weak point in last year’s car, the exhaust blown diffuser.

Regarding other midfield teams Sauber comes with an advantage in terms of drivers, as the the team keeps its lineup of last year. Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez continue to want to show their qualities and maybe give the jump to a bigger team, so maybe that can boost the team.

The Sauber C31-Ferrari is described by the team as being both revolutionary and evolution car.

According to Sauber’s Chief Designer Morris, the team has implemented in the car fresh new ideas, especially in the rear of the car, and this would be where it revolutionary. The part of evolution comes fromm the carrying over of certain approaches and also from the improvements of the weaknesses detected on the C30.

The Chief Designer refers that the biggest change has been made on the exhaust position, due to the new Technical Regulations. Having to move it away from the floor Sauber designers and engineers had to create a new approach to it.

Because of safety requirements, written on the new 2012 regulations, the nose cone of the C31 had to be lowered but Sauber still maintained the high chassis design from last year’s car. In terms of design, the nose cone has quite a different shape to how it was in the past.

The wing of the C30 is the continuation of the directions Sauber’s engineers were pursuing towards the end of the 2011 season.

The centre section of the C31 is basically an evolution of the work done on last year’s C30. Engineers have optimised the packaging under the under the side pods in order to enhance its aerodynamics. The cooling layout as well as roll-hoop and KERS system have also been improved.

Quotes:

Kobayashi

“2012 will be not only my third season in Formula One, but also my third with the same team. We’ve been through a lot together and can benefit from our shared experiences. In my first year with the team we had a bad start but a good second half to the season. The second year was the exact reverse. In our third year together we should be a reliable bet to finish consistently in the points. I’m really looking forward to the new season with the Sauber F1 Team.”

Sergio Pérez

"My first year in Formula One felt like three years, there were so many new things to take in. But now I feel like I’ve arrived in Formula One and I’m determined to take a step up in 2012 and achieve better results for the team on a regular basis.”