The Swiss team is exploring other engine options for the 2018 season, while the cars of this season will be equipped with a 2016 generation Ferrari engine that will not be developed. This would mark the end of a long-standing engine partnership between Sauber and Ferrari, which, excluding the BMW hiatus from 2006 to 2009, has been ongoing since 1997.<\/p>\n
The first option being considered is Honda, which is having difficulties with McLaren. The team has thus threatened to turn to Mercedes if no significant progress is made. The advantage for Sauber would be that a Honda engine would provide better commercial opportunities than this year’s older generation Ferrari engine. And, should McLaren withdraw from the Japanese engine supplier, it could allow the Hinwil team to secure a significant sponsorship contract. The trade-off could materialize in the form of integrating a Japanese driver into the team, such as young F2 driver Nobuharu Matsushita.<\/p>\n
When asked about this, Sauber’s director Monisha Kaltenborn acknowledges the existence of these negotiations: \u00ab All I can tell you is that yes, we have had discussions with them (Honda). But we are open regarding our engine. I think we have a few options. It will depend on what we agree on. \u00bb<\/p>\n
The second possibility is to turn to Mercedes, which placed its prot\u00e9g\u00e9 Pascal Wehrlein in the team. This could open up the possibility of an engine contract similar to the one that existed between Manor and the Stuttgart company last year. However, it would be a more shaky agreement as it is hard to see Wehrlein staying with Sauber for more than two seasons.<\/p>\n
Monisha Kaltenborn specifies that the sooner the better to properly prepare things: \u00ab We know that an appeal must be made soon. We know that, of course, the sooner it is clarified, the better it will be in terms of development. \u00bb<\/p>\n
In any case, the negotiations will have to be quick since the regulations require engine manufacturers to announce the teams they plan to supply with engines for the next season before May 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Swiss Sauber team could end its engine partnership with Ferrari and switch to a Honda or Mercedes engine for 2018. The news has been confirmed by team principal Monisha Kaltenborn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":38490,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,1749],"tags":[49,1038,1044],"class_list":["post-11581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","category-news","tag-alfa-romeo-racing","tag-moteur-honda","tag-moteur-mercedes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n