Sauber stands out in Melbourne
The two Sauber drivers, who were expected to close the gap in the first two practice sessions of the Australian Grand Prix, put in good performances instead, with Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein finishing 15th and 18th respectively.
With their 2016 Ferrari-badged power unit, Sauber drivers anticipate challenging days during the season. The first race of the year therefore represents a unique opportunity for them to make a strong impact, as their main competitors are not yet fully up to speed.
As such, the two 15th places obtained by Marcus Ericsson are indicative of the generally good form of the C36s on the particular track of Melbourne.
Marcus Ericsson – FP1: 15th / 1:27.348 min (30 laps) / FP2: 15th / 1:26.498 min (29 laps)
Enough to give some reasons for satisfaction to the Swedish driver: Overall, it was a positive day for us. During testing in Barcelona, we weren’t completely satisfied with the car’s balance. After analyzing all the data, we’ve made progress because I feel more comfortable in the car here in Melbourne. Today, we managed to complete a good number of laps on the different tire compounds, so overall, it was a good start to the weekend.
Pascal Wehrlein – FP1: 18th / 1:28.539 min (22 laps) / FP2: 18th / 1:26.919 min (30 laps)
On his side, Pascal Wehrlein experienced some difficulties in finding the right compromise in his settings. He had already been hampered during the winter tests following his accident at the Race Of Champions last January: “I am not entirely satisfied with my first practice sessions today. We are still trying to find an appropriate setup for the car, but it’s positive that we have collected good data in both practice sessions. Now we need to focus on tomorrow to achieve further improvements.”
Good morning world 🤗 we are starting the day with a pit stop practice session #AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/kIU2CZGzMB
— Sauber F1 Team (@SauberF1Team) 23 mars 2017
