Formula 1: Beautiful Sauber memory of 2015
After three Grands Prix in Australia, Bahrain and China, Formula 1 is coming to Europe. Sauber fans are hoping that it's not just the Olympic idea that counts for the Swiss team in the Winter Olympic city of Sochi. In our preview of the Swiss representatives in the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship in the March issue of AutoSprintCH, we hinted at these possibilities, and now [...]
In our preview of the Swiss representatives in the 2016 Formula 1 World Championship in the March issue of AutoSprintCH, we hinted at these possibilities, and now they actually have to be feared: The Sauber F1 Team must be careful not to catch the red lantern. After Mark Smith, who was Technical Director, Sauber is now also missing its lead engineer at the track, as Timothy Malyon has left. Both allegedly for personal reasons - among which can be understood the financial shortage that does not allow technical development. The 12th and 14th places of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr in Bahrain - far away in time from the points-scoring tenth place - were so far the optimum for Sauber. Until reality catches up with them on Sunday afternoon, the Hinwil-based team can wallow in fond memories: Last year, Felipe Nasr made the most of his opportunities by finishing sixth, his second-best result in Formula 1 to date.
Manor with Pascal Wehrlein on the rise
In 13th place, Pascal Wehrlein in the Manor-Mercedes slotted in between the Sauber duo in Bahrain after the young German finished ahead of them in 16th place in qualifying. Insiders believe it is only a matter of time before the 2015 DTM champion makes an even stronger showing, especially since his sponsors and technical partner Mercedes have the greatest interest in doing so. The newly formed Renault team has also come away empty-handed so far, but scraped the points in the first two GPs. It won't be long before Renault's partnership with Mario Illien's high-tech company Ilmor, which runs a parallel development in England for the primary and hybrid drive, bears its first fruits.
Romain Grosjean helps Haas get up to speed
The close liaison between Haas and Ferrari has paid off faster than expected, with Romain Grosjean from Geneva playing a major role. His placings in the first two races (6th and 5th) have already catapulted him as a driver and Haas as a team to fifth place in the two World Championship classifications. The first interim low in China only makes the new U.S. team stronger and more ambitious, where both VF-16s lacked aerodynamic and mechanical balance. "We knew we'd have a setback at some point and we've learned our lessons," says team boss Günther Steiner. "Romain's feedback is enormously valuable for our development, and with his help we may be able to pick up where we left off in Australia and Bahrain as early as Russia."
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Photos: HaasF1 Team, Daniel Reinhard/Sauber F1 Team
