Second Sauber driver: an imminent announcement
Who will be Nico Hülkenberg's teammate at Sauber in 2013? There is no shortage of candidates, but the name of the second driver for the Swiss team will be announced in the coming days.
With Force India, Sauber remains one of the best seat options for the 2013 season. The Swiss team has already announced that Nico Hülkenberg will join Hinwil next year, but the name of his teammate still needs to be officially confirmed.
In recent weeks, Kamui Kobayashi’s future has become somewhat uncertain, with the team’s management indicating that he would need to find sponsors to hope to still be part of the race in Melbourne. Nevertheless, the Japanese driver seemed to display a certain optimism in the Austin paddock: « I’m confident. There isn’t a change but I think it will be fine. I think the situation is better than before… the money and all that. I think it’s getting better but we will see. »
To support Hülkenberg, the other option would be Esteban Gutierrez, backed by Telmex. The young Mexican spent two years in GP2 and finished third in the 2012 season. With Pérez leaving for McLaren, it would be logical for Carlos Slim, the world’s richest man, to try to promote another of his protégés.
But Kobayashi and Gutierrez are not the only ones hoping to have the favor of the Swiss team. Some rumors have mentioned Jaime Alguersuari, who has been very quiet for a few weeks, but also Charles Pic, who is more likely to join Caterham next season.
In any case, the suspense will soon come to an end as Sauber will announce its 2013 lineup during the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.
« We have always said that we would make an announcement at the end of the season. So it will be before Brazil, in Brazil, or a few hours after the race, » explains Monisha Kaltenborn to our colleagues at Autosport.
