Official: Sauber to get 2016 Ferrari engines next year
Sauber will be using Ferrari power units, from late 2016, for next season. Another year of transition for the Swiss team before, perhaps, Honda's support in 2018.
On the sidelines of the Japanese Grand Prix taking place this weekend in Suzuka, Monisha Kaltenbronn, director of the Sauber team, confirmed to our colleagues at Motorsport.com that the team would use Ferrari power units dated for the end of the season for next year.
« We will use the latest Ferrari engine specification in 2017. We made this decision a while ago, not recently, at a time when next year’s regulations were not 100% clear. At that time, we made a strategic decision to focus our resources on chassis and performance development, and in a sense, leave the engine side to the areas we know. » clarified Kaltenborn.
But beyond this decision that was made while the team was in a complicated financial situation, it is a long-term reflection that has been undertaken by Sauber. Several rumors suggest a possible partnership between the Swiss team and engine manufacturer Honda in 2018.
We know that the Japanese manufacturer has already begun work to expand its workspace in order to supply a new team by 2018. Sauber could therefore be the engine manufacturer’s choice, with the agreement of its partner McLaren.
However, Kaltenborn denies having made this decision under pressure: « Any suggestion that this decision was made because our development is behind schedule is incorrect. We are absolutely on time. We have not experienced any delays, and thanks to the change of ownership, we now have the stability and boost necessary to step up our pace. »
This year, Toro Rosso is racing with year-old Ferrari power units. After an honorable start to the season, the small team from Faenza – which will reunite with Renault in 2017 – encountered much greater difficulties in developing and performance of its cars from mid-season onwards.
