Saturday Review: Sauber – A Nice Surprise

Sauber struggled at the beginning of last season, but that’s not the case this year. Their duo of young drivers want to show that the Sauber C30 is competitive, and they set very good times in Q1. Sergio Perez is thus the best rookie of this qualifying session, ahead of di Resta and Maldonado, surprising Peter Sauber, the team principal of the team.

Kamui Kobayashi 9th position 1’25″626

Our performance overall is not too bad, and we now know that what we did this winter is good. Of course, there are things to improve, but it’s only the first Grand Prix, and reaching Q3 is very good. I want to thank the team. I just would have liked to have new tires for Q3, and sixth place could have been possible. In any case, I believe today is a good sign, and I’m happy to offer this to Japan.

Sergio Perez 13th position 1’26’108

My first qualifying session started well with sixth place in Q1, mainly because I hadn’t been able to test the soft tires with low fuel due to a hydraulic issue during the third practice session. In Q2, we had little time after the yellow flag, and on my last flying lap, I got caught in traffic in the last sector and couldn’t get the best out of the tires. A better result was possible, and it’s a shame. But I feel good in the car, and I hope for a good race tomorrow with some points at the end.

Peter Sauber

« Finally, everyone now knows where they stand, and I am satisfied with our position at the moment. And the experience with our two young drivers is important as well. We knew what Kamui could do, but Sergio, our new recruit, is a surprise. »