The 2013 Challengers: The Sauber C32

Discuss all the aspects of the Formula 1 sport here

Moderators: cmlean, Ed, The Qualiflyer, The Heretic

Post Reply

What do you expect from Sauber F1 in 2013 ?

They will improve again and finish 5th or higher in the Constructors'
1
50%
They will finish sixth just as they did in 2012
1
50%
They will struggle and drop back to seventh or eighth
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 2

Ed
NewsOnF1 Editor
NewsOnF1 Editor
Posts: 22255
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 1:24 pm

The 2013 Challengers: The Sauber C32

Post by Ed » Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:11 pm

The Sauber F1 team launches the new Sauber C32-Ferrari

2 February 2013 - The Sauber F1 Team presents the Sauber C32-Ferrari to its partners and the media today, Saturday, 2nd February. Drivers Nico Hülkenberg (DE, 25) and Esteban Gutiérrez (MX, 21) pulled back the covers on the new car at the team’s base in Hinwil, Switzerland. The roll-out of the Sauber C32 will take place during the first winter test at Jerez de la Frontera on 5th February.

“Two thousand and twelve was a very successful year for us,” said Monisha Kaltenborn, looking ahead to the new season. “We not only moved up from seventh to sixth place in the constructors’ standings, but also improved our points total from 44 in 2011 to 126 last season. We have a strong platform in place now, on which we are aiming to build and continue our upward curve.”

The Team Principal is bullish about the prospects for the team’s new driver pairing: “We have had our eye on Nico Hülkenberg for some time and have been impressed by his performances. He is very quick, but, most importantly, he’s also very efficient. He understands how to pick up as many points as possible from a particular race situation. Esteban Gutiérrez is a driver we know very well as a result of a relationship with the team going back several years, and he has already had a number of opportunities to test with our car. Plus, he has always stayed in close contact with our engineers, which has allowed him to learn a lot about Formula One. I’m in no doubt he is now ready to take the final step and put his outstanding talent on display.”

Gutiérrez has been succeeded as test and reserve driver by 21-year-old Dutchman Robin Frijns. “We rate him as an extraordinarily gifted young man, so we decided to give him this opportunity,” explained Kaltenborn. “We will now set about introducing him step by step to life in Formula One.”

Hülkenberg is entering his third F1 season in a race seat. The German spent 2010 – his rookie year – with Williams and 2012 at the wheel of a Force India car. “The Sauber F1 Team made significant progress last year from 2011,” the German driver recognised. “Now the team is ready to take the next step, and I want to play my part in making that happen. My personal aim is to put in a good, steady performance this season.”

Gutiérrez won the GP3 Championship with something to spare in 2010. He promptly made the move up to GP2 and finished third in last year’s standings. Now the Mexican is focused on the future: “I’m really looking forward to my first season in Formula One. My long association with the Sauber F1 Team has given me the chance to understand the complexity of Formula One. But I also realise, of course, that I still have a huge amount to learn. I will be working flat out to adapt to the whole F1 environment as quickly as possible and, if things open up during races, I want to make sure I’m ready to take full advantage.”

Test and reserve driver Frijns (21) spent last year competing in the World Series by Renault – and crowned his season with the championship title. “I’m overjoyed that the Sauber F1 Team has given me this chance. I will do everything I can to support the team as effectively as possible and, at the same time, learn how things work in the professional world of Formula One,” said the Dutch youngster.

The three drivers and the new Sauber C32-Ferrari are set to make a fine combination.

Sauber C32-Ferrari – technical details

The F1 technical regulations have barely changed going into the 2013 season and yet the new Sauber C32-Ferrari is a very different proposition visually from its predecessor – thanks to a smooth, slightly downward-sloping nose section and, principally, much slimmer sidepods.

“The C31 was an extremely competitive car with many strengths,” explained Matt Morris, the Sauber F1 Team’s Chief Designer. Our aim was to further improve these strengths and eliminate its few weaknesses.

The sidepods of the C32 are notably slimmer than the Formula One norm up to now and are responsible for giving the new car a very distinctive look. “The airflow in this area has a major influence over everything that happens at the rear of the car,” said Morris, offering a glimpse into the team’s thinking.

An extremely slim rear end was high up the engineers’ list of priorities. One of the key aspects here is the arrangement of the radiators, which is very different from that in the C31. A look at the rear end of the new car reveals the engineers’ rigorous approach to this area.

As before, the car’s KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), engine and gearbox are supplied by Ferrari. The KERS is based on last year’s version, but its weight and packaging volume have been optimised.

The rear axle is a totally new development. Although it still works according to the pullrod principle, its layout has been designed to better interact with the airflow around the rear of the car, while further improving the tyre management.

There was also potential for improvement in how the tyres are used in qualifying, as Morris explained: “Our car looked after its tyres very well during races last year. However, we had problems now and again when it came to getting the maximum out of them in qualifying. We’ve looked at this phenomenon closely and made the required adjustments.”

Another high priority was reducing the car’s overall weight, to allow a better distribution of the ballast, while retaining its structural requirements and mechanical setup flexibility. “My colleagues have done an excellent job here, and we have even exceeded our original targets”, praised Morris.

Like last year, the Sauber F1 Team will use a basic version of the car for its rollout event and introduce a major update before the first race of the season.

“We have set ourselves lofty goals with the Sauber C32-Ferrari, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to meet them. The C31 gave us a very good basis, to which we’ve made further improvements. Our aim is to line up for 2013 with a car that is competitive from the first race, but which also offers extensive potential for further development,” summed up Morris.

Image
Image

Thaddeus
F1 Tester
F1 Tester
Posts: 385
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 5:56 pm
Location: Yorkshire

Post by Thaddeus » Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:26 am

Went for keeping sixth. Not sure about the new chap, but Hulkenberg's a talented driver. It'll be a big ask to retain sixth but I think they'll manage it.

Axey
Go Kart Racer
Go Kart Racer
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:17 am

Post by Axey » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:07 am

In Hulkenberg we trust to take Sauber into the top 5
Sauber FTW
Massa FTW
any ex Sauber driver FTW
Perez and Koboyashi FTW
btw did i mention i like Sauber

Jim Watt
Racer
Racer
Posts: 583
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:15 am
Location: INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

Post by Jim Watt » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:32 am

Axey: Everyone loves Peter Sauber. In a Hollywood movie, Hulkenberg would take his team to second place in the championship, losing to der wunderkind only because Fernando tangled with him, trying to overtake on the final turn and taking them both out. Given how ugly Ferrari looks and how lackluster their machines have been lately, it would be lovely to see one of their client teams put them in sixth place this year!

Jim Watt
My Racing Gods: Fangio, Vukovich; Senna & Mears --all racers all the time; graceful winners & generous in defeat, but never giving up!!

Jim Watt
Racer
Racer
Posts: 583
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:15 am
Location: INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

Post by Jim Watt » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:36 am

Axey: Everyone loves Peter Sauber. In a Hollywood movie, Hulkenberg would take his team to second place in the championship, losing to der wunderkind only because Fernando tangled with him, trying to overtake on the final turn and taking them both out. Given how ugly Ferrari looks and how lackluster their machines have been lately, it would be lovely to see one of their client teams put them in sixth place this year!

Jim Watt
My Racing Gods: Fangio, Vukovich; Senna & Mears --all racers all the time; graceful winners & generous in defeat, but never giving up!!

Axey
Go Kart Racer
Go Kart Racer
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 10:17 am

Post by Axey » Wed Feb 06, 2013 7:11 am

Not sure how Gutiérrez will perform this year though.
Sauber FTW
Massa FTW
any ex Sauber driver FTW
Perez and Koboyashi FTW
btw did i mention i like Sauber

Post Reply