Sauber presents the C31

Busy day today in Jérez with no less than three presentations (four if we consider the Lotus E20 that was already unveiled last night). This morning, Sauber lifted the veil on their 2012 car; the C31. Unsurprisingly, this new car features a stepped nose with a break as abrupt as on the Ferrari F2012 presented on Friday. The gray color of the front accentuates the platypus-like nose appearance of this type of aerodynamic solution.

In addition to this nose, the new Sauber is distinguished by particularly small and tight sidepods.

« The C31 is a revolution in which we have implemented new ideas, particularly at the rear of the car, » emphasizes Matt Morris, chief designer of the Swiss team.

However, the new Sauber has not completely broken from the past and also relies on the strengths of the 2011 C30. « We had to improve the weaknesses of the C30 but at the same time we wanted to retain its strengths, » confirms Morris.

Among the new features of this 2012 season is the position of the exhausts, which have returned to a more conventional place than in the past, requiring quite a bit of work.

The Swiss team also tried to improve tire management by better adapting the car to the Italian rubber. We expect different characteristics from the tires in 2012. Pirelli is in its second year, so they are refining their compounds and tire profiles. The compounds tend to move towards slightly softer solutions.

The new Sauber will be on track this afternoon for a 50-kilometer shakedown. Tomorrow Kamui Kobayashi will start the winter testing for the Swiss team before handing over to Sergio Pérez the following day.

More information and photos to come on Motors Inside.