Friday: More work for Sauber
Sauber is progressing slowly but surely, and the regular drivers Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez will still have work to do in terms of understanding during the final practice sessions.
Adrian Sutil (no. 99) – 15th and 15th
The day for the German started relatively well with some tests: « This morning we were able to test different settings and it was OK. The medium and soft tires are good choices for this circuit. »
He was then able to measure the differences during night driving: « The second session was interesting due to the low temperatures. Overall, the grip was good: the tires do not overheat, but the circuit remains a challenge for the rear tires. »
But the day ended too early, leaving the driver’s program unfinished: « During the evening, we were able to do short stints with the mediums and the softs. Later in FP2, the engine stopped, and I had to park the car in turn 4. Because of that, we couldn’t do long stints. »
Esteban Gutierrez – 16th [FP2]
« Overall, the balance of the car is what we want, and that’s a good sign. The feel of the car is quite good, » stated the Mexican, who still has work to do: « We still need to work on the gear changes. At the moment, we’re lacking straight-line speed on long stints. However, in the corners, the car doesn’t seem too far off. We need to fine-tune the settings and better understand on-track temperatures. It’s a different way of heating the tires. »
Giedo van der Garde (No. 36) – 18th [FP1]
For the Dutchman, who was getting back behind the wheel for the first time since the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix, the session was not too bad.
“I struggled at first because the car is completely different from last season. The way of driving, the feel, the driving position, the steering wheel… everything is different,” he explained. “However, I improved with each lap. I’m quite happy with the session. I hope we can work with the feedback.”
