Tuesday February 5, 2013
Sauber optimistic new car will propel them in 2013
New car, new hope: Sauber F1 Team Formula One drivers (from left) Nico Huelkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez discussing with their CEO Monisha Kaltenborn together with reserve driver Robin Frijns during the Sauber F1 unveiling ceremony in Hinwil, Switzerland, on Sunday. —EPA ZURICH: The Sauber F1 team unveiled their new Sauber C32-Ferrari car in Hinwil, Switzerland on Sunday, that drivers Nico Huelkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez hope will launch them into a successful 2013 Formula One season.
The Swiss team are optimistic for the upcoming campaign, which kicks-off in Melbourne on March 17.
They finished sixth in last year’s constructors’ championship, which was won by the Red Bull team of drivers’ world champion Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber.
“The 2012 season was a very successful year for us,” said team boss Monisha Kaltenborn.
“The aim is very clear and quite simple: we want to continue to improve ourselves and the key factor for this is the car.
“We not only moved up from seventh to sixth place in the constructors’ standings, but also improved our points total from 44 in 2011 to 126 last season.
“We have a strong platform in place now, on which we are aiming to build and continue our upward curve.”
Kaltenborn believes Gutierrez is ready to make his mark in Formula One, and is also pleased with the arrival of Germany’s Huelkenberg, who will make his debut with the team after spells with Williams and Force India.
“We have had our eye on Nico Huelkenberg for some time and have been impressed by his performances,” Kaltenborn explained.
“He is very quick, but, most importantly, he’s also very efficient.”
It looks good to me - absolutely perfect,” Hulkenberg said. “
You see the colour scheme has changed a bit, more grey, a bit darker. But it looks good and now I’m curious to take it out and see how fast it is.”
Gutierrez added: “It’s very exciting to see the car in real life. It’s very innovative and I’m really looking forward to test it on track and then to race it.”— AFP
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