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Mixed emotions for Sauber over British Grand Prix

Matthew Turnbull — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 20:11:17 +0000

By finishing sixth in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Kamui Kobayashi scored eight championship points – the best result for Sauber so far this season. His team mate, Pedro de la Rosa, had to give up at half distance because of damage to the rear of the car caused by an accident with Adrian Sutil. De la Rosa was speeding down the Hangar Straight when part of his rear wing shattered, causing the safety car.

Kobayashi was very happy with his race after finishing 6th from qualifying 12th, with the Japanese driver saying he found the race easy!

“I’m really happy, but actually I don’t have much to tell,” Kobayashi said. “I had a very good start from 12th, the team did a great pit stop and the race pace today was as good as I thought it would be. I was pretty confident before the race because I can really feel how the car is getting better and better now. I had no chance to overtake anybody this time, but I still enjoyed the race. I didn’t find it especially hard, I didn’t even sweat,” he concluded.

In contrast to his teammate, Pedro de la Rosa was very disappointed with his race after being hit by Adrian Sutil forced his retirement.

“Naturally I’m very disappointed,” said the veteran Spaniard. “The car was quite good. I had some understeer, but nothing major. Right after the start I was racing alongside Rubens Barrichello and he pushed me wide in turn one. That was where I lost two places and dropped back to 11th. But I was still racing for points when Adrian Sutil hit me from behind at half distance of the race because not everybody in front of me had stopped by then. Unfortunately the damage proved to be too bad to continue,” he lamented.

Team boss Peter Sauber said it was a ‘strong and successful’ race for Kamui Kobayashi, but the Swiss says that Kobayashi could have gone even faster!

“This was another strong and successful race for Kamui. But the difference to the recent Grand Prix in Valencia is this time he had to withstand a lot of pressure over the entire race distance. There was never a real gap ahead or behind him. He managed this tight situation very well and I think he could have gone even faster.

“My compliments not only to him and his driving, but also to the team which is improving the car step by step. Pedro had a very unlucky race. Right after the start he was pushed off by somebody, but he still had a good chance for points before the incident with Adrian Sutil on lap 26.”

British Grand Prix: Friday quotes – Sauber

Jack Sargeant — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:19:40 +0000

Kamui Kobayashi (15th, 14th)

“After we lost some track time we tried to catch up with the programme, and I think we managed that quite well, especially with the short runs. We obviously have to improve our pace everywhere, but I found the balance of the car not too bad. I had only a little understeer and I think we can fix it with some set-up changes. The tyre situation with both compounds looks okay to me. The new track section is a bit bumpy and dusty, but it will get cleaner.”

Pedro de la Rosa (16th, 17th)

“I must admit it was not an easy day for me. The front end of the car doesn’t react the way I want it to. I really have a lot of understeer. It is worse in the very high and very low speed corners. I find it difficult to make the car turn. We have to look into the data now and find a solution.”

James Key, Technical Director, Sauber

“It was a fairly busy day. In the beginning the track was quite slippery, and therefore we did not get much work done in the first session. The new lay out of the circuit looks quite good, but there is also a significant difference in grip level between the old and the new part. The problem on Kamui’s car, which occurred at the very end of the first session, initially appeared to be engine related. Now it looks like it was an electronic issue, which we only found at the beginning of the second session. However, our main target is now to find the right balance for low and high speed consistency.”

Sauber set for Silverstone success

Jack Sargeant — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:40:35 +0000

Sauber were thrilled with Kamui Kobayashi‘s drive at Valencia on which he overtook Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi on the last lap of the race, and if their driver Pedro de la Rosa is to be believed, they are set to do even better next weekend at Silverstone.

The Spaniard said:

“We are all going to a new Silverstone and have to be open minded. The changes to the track look very nice and I expect its character, with plenty of medium and high speed corners, has remained unchanged, and this should suit our car more than the Valencia circuit did. I’m very much looking forward to the British Grand Prix.”

Pedro de la Rosa

Kamui Kobayashi unsurprisingly also likes the high-speed corners at Silverstone:

“I have a very good feeling for the race in Silverstone. I like this track a lot and I’m looking forward to seeing the new parts. The high speed corners make it one of my favourite circuits. Also there is always a good crowd, and I think this time with their fellow countrymen leading the championship they will be very excited. I like going to England, and London is a great city anyway.”

Kamui Kobayashi

Sauber’s technical director James Key revealed that the team have been analysing the new layout of the Silverstone circuit to get the best out of the C29 as possible:

“I’m looking forward to see how the new section affects the track. It was never a circuit that was easy to overtake on. It could be that the new section has some influence on that, but we won’t know until we get there. We’ve been working on what we think we need to do for the new layout. We will have a busy Friday to try and cover all the options to find out what is best for the modified track. What’s important there is high speed and medium speed stability of the car. The first sector, particularly, is dominated by these kinds of corners. It’s important that the car is competitive through Copse and then the winding section afterwards. There’s only really two or three places where braking is of high importance. It’s not a high braking energy circuit, so braking stability is less of an issue to consider, but we have to see how the new section affects that. I think we also have to keep an eye on the aerodynamic efficiency with the longer straights, so there is a bit to learn but also a lot which is familiar. I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

James Key

Sauber hails Kobayashi drive as ‘amazing’

Jack Sargeant — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:46:43 +0000

The first of their many mid-season updates looked promising for Sauber, as for the first time this season they were seriously competing for championship points.

Kamui Kobayashi showed us the reason we all fell in love with him in the final races of 2009, passing Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi on the final lap with his gung-ho style on full show, as he took 7th. Team boss Peter Sauber hailed the drive as ‘amazing’:

“I can only think of one word for it – amazing! I was obviously thrilled by his two overtaking moves at the end of the race, but what impressed me most was how Kamui mastered his long stint on the hard tyres. At times he was setting some of the fastest lap times of any driver, but still managed to look after his tyres. He also drove very consistently and didn’t allow himself to be put under pressure by Jenson Button. Signing a rookie is always something of a risk; on Sunday Kamui delivered confirmation that we made the right decision.”

James Key the technical director explained why the C29 was so competitive in the race:

“There are several reasons. When a driver finds himself in a competitive position like that he always finds something more in himself because he’s following quicker cars. And Kamui did a very good job. The race also showed that the car works when it’s in the right conditions, but the question we have and we had for several of the last races is why the car is more competitive in race conditions than qualifying. The drivers report that the car is easier to drive in the race, and tyre degradation wasn’t a problem either, so we weren’t particularly hard on the tyres. We need to look into the data, now that both drivers delivered a competitive race after a qualifying that was not up to our expectations. We need to pin down the differences in how the car is feeling and handling and see how we can apply that to qualifying.”

James Key also explained the next development steps for Sauber, and revealed that they have already started work on their 2011 car:

“We are currently in the process of splitting our resources as best we can between the current car and the C30. We are a private team and we don’t have unlimited resources to do everything we want. For Silverstone we have some front wing updates and modifications around the middle of the car. Then for Hockenheim we will have a rear end update which includes a diffuser step as well. The numbers in the wind tunnel are progressing well. At the same time we are focusing on Spa and Monza for lower downforce and drag configurations. And there will be further steps towards the end of the year.”

Kamui Kobayashi said of his moves on Alonso and Buemi:

“My car was feeling good and I had a lot more grip than Fernando and Sébastien with my fresh tyres; my lap times were clearly better. I only had four laps with the new tyres. I was genuinely faster, so I had to give it a try. I just wanted to get the most I could out of the situation. I was sure that I could get past as long as they didn’t make any strange moves under braking. I didn’t expect them to, as both of them are good drivers and would not throw away their points shortly before the end of the race.”

Sauber would have scored their first double points finish, was it not for the daft 5 second penalties dished out to numerous drivers for speeding behind the safety car. Pedro de la Rosa was demoted from 10th to 12th and said:

“No, that came totally out of the blue. I didn’t see the Safety Car delta time on the steering wheel display at all. The Safety Car went out onto the track as I was going through the final corners. These are fast corners, and we were still running close together, fighting for positions, as the race was still in its early stages. At the same time, I spoke to the pits on the radio, because I had been called in for a stop. Eight other drivers obviously had a similar experience. To tell the truth, I also think that if one of us had lifted in response to the delta time, it would have caused a crash. At the end of the day, I was 2.8 seconds too fast and accept my penalty for that, although this offence has not always been punished in the past. Plus, the fact that nine drivers all made the same mistake at the same time indicates that there were special circumstances involved. I found it surprising that the penalty was five seconds; a 20-second time penalty is about right for a drive-through.”

Sauber first team to replicate McLaren duct

Jack Sargeant — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:12:28 +0000

Sauber have become the first team in the paddock to replicate McLaren’s duct system.

They have fitted the vent to the left sidepod on their C29 cars given the fact that the technical regulations forbid major changes to the chassis.

Sauber have shown impressive speed in recreating their own version of the device which stalls the rear wing at high speed when the driver closes a vent in the cockpit, especially considering it took McLaren two years to develop.

Sauber will have presumably used their driver Pedro de la Rosa’s knowledge of the device to recreate their own, as de la Rosa was a test driver at McLaren before joining the Hinwil-based team.

de la Rosa said the team have yet to decide whether the system is raceable or not:

“It is a prototype, and the team has been working the last week flat out. We just have to be open minded.

“We have no testing, and this is the first opportunity we have to try it. We have to test it, make sure it works and then decide if it is raceable or not. We just have to have the patience to test it properly.”

Pedro de la Rosa

Sauber reveal C29 (Gallery)

Jack Sargeant — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:44:46 +0000

Sauber have today launched thir 2010 challenger – the C29 at the Ricardo Tormo race track in Valencia.

“The last few months have been very intense for us,” says team boss and owner Peter Sauber. “First we had to battle to secure the survival of the team and then we focused on putting a strong set-up in place for the future. The technical preparation of the 2010 car has continued uninterrupted and according to plan since the spring of 2009, despite all the turmoil. We have a long tradition of bringing together an up-and-coming youngster and an experienced campaigner as a driver combination – and it’s an approach that has brought us a lot of success. Pedro has been working at the highest level technically for many years and for a top team, and we can benefit as a team from this experience. Young Kamui also has a lot to offer us, and last year he impressed me particularly in Abu Dhabi.”

For De la Rosa, a long-harboured hope has been realised: “At last I can feel like a proper racing driver again. I’ve really missed the competition out on the track. At the same time, though, I’ve learned a lot technically and on the systems side, and now I want to bring that knowledge to the team.”

Kobayashi can’t wait to tackle his first full season in Formula One: “I’m very proud that Peter Sauber has shown so much faith in me and I’m determined not to disappoint him. My aim is that he will end up being proud of me as well.”

BMW Sauber C29

Rampf explains: “The development of the BMW Sauber C29 has seen the team build on the experience gained last year and the improvement in performance over the final third of the season. However, the new regulations banning refuelling during the race and stipulating a reduced width for the front tyres have required significant changes to the car’s design.”

The increased length of the fuel tank means the car has grown longer overall. And because they are slimmer, the front tyres will be more heavily worked, requiring weight to be shifted further towards the rear of the car.

An eye-catching feature of the C29 is its highly intricate raised nose. Also very distinctive is an extremely long undercut at the transition from chassis into underbody. These and other aerodynamic measures also help to ensure optimum airflow to the double diffuser. Further changes were required to integrate the Ferrari engine and, in particular, the Ferrari gearbox.

Specification

Chassis: Carbon-fibre monocoque
Suspension: Upper and lower wishbones (front and rear), inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods (Sachs Race Engineering)
Brakes: Six-piston brake callipers (Brembo), carbon pads and discs (Brembo, Carbon Industries)
Transmission: Ferrari Seven-speed quick shift gearbox, carbon, longitudinally mounted, carbon-fibre clutch
Chassis electronics: MES
Steering wheel: BMW Sauber F1 Team
Tyres: Bridgestone Potenza
Wheels: OZ
Length: 4,940 mm
Width: 1,800 mm
Height: 1,000 mm
Track width, front: 1,495 mm
Track width, rear: 1,410 mm
Weight: 620 kg (including driver, tank empty)

Gallery

Images (C) Sauber

BMW Sauber sign de la Rosa

Jack Sargeant — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 13:10:02 +0000

The 38-year-old Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa has been confirmed as driving for the BMW Sauber team in 2010, alongside rookie teammate Kamui Kobayashi. de la Rosa said:

“I always firmly believed I would be given another chance as a team driver. Since the number of test drives were radically reduced, this was what I was working towards.

“I’m really excited about the season with Peter Sauber’s team, which has been a solid fixture in Formula 1 ever since 1993.”

A veteran of 72 Grands Prix, de la Rosa’s first F1 stint was from 1999-2002, during which time he raced for the Arrows and Jaguar teams. From 2003 onwards, de la Rosa has driven for McLaren as a test driver, making 9 race appearances in the process.

In his F1 career so far, de la Rosa has collected 29 points, and just a single podium.

Button's McLaren debut set

Sam Millar — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:26:44 +0000

McLaren debutant Jenson Button has revealed that he will be the last of the drivers to test the MP4-25.

Jenson Button will make his McLaren driving debut with the team at Valencia on the 3rd February, the last driver to drive the new McLaren in the three day tests.

Despite recent rumours of De La Rosa making a possible move to Sauber, he will be the first of three to test the new MP4-25, followed by Lewis on the second day and Jenson on the third.

Speaking at AUTOSPORT International, Jenson said:

“I am looking forward to it. It’s going to be the strangest day because it’s going to be one of the most important days in F1 in 2010, when we see where people stand, which cars are quick and which are competitive.”

De la Rosa for Sauber in 2010?

Jack Sargeant — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 16:11:35 +0000

According to the Swiss daily newspaper Blick, Sauber will confirm Pedro de la Rosa to drive alongside Kamui Kobayashi in 2010 for the new team.

The newspaper said that an announcement will be made soon, barring “an earthquake in Hinwil.”

The 38-year-old Spaniard has had two previous stints in an F1 race seat from 99-02 with Arrows and Jaguar and from 05-06 at McLaren, before become a full time test driver for McLaren. In his 72 races, he collected 29 points with just 1 podium, and 0 wins.

Last week team owner Peter Sauber was quoted as saying that “an experienced man” with “new knowledge for the team” has been signed to partner Kobayashi in 2010 – a bill perfectly fitted by de la Rosa.

Christian Klien and Nick Heidfeld are other drivers in the running for the seat.

Kobayashi at Sauber in 2010?

chrisward — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:00:40 +0000

It has been reported that Kamui Kobayashi will drive for Sauber in 2010 after an impressive showing at the the end of the season.

Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat alleges that a deal has been made but that no confirmation will be made until both race seats have been filled.

Kobayashi had hoped for a race with Toyota, but the Japanese manufacturer have pulled out of the sport.

Giancarlo Fisichella, Nick Heidfeld and Pedro de la Rosa are believed to be on Sauber’s shortlist, and Peter Sauber has already expressed a desire for a blend of youth and experience behind the wheel.

It is also rumoured that Belgian driver Bertand Baguette (what a name!) will get the test and reserve driver role in Sauber, if you believe comments made by his manager. Baguette drove for BMW Sauber during the last day of the youngsters’ test in Jerez.

Turun Sanomat has also reported Malaysian oil company Petronas will maintain it’s backing of the Swiss team.