A lightened Sauber C33 in Spain
The Sauber F1 team has worked hard to bring improvements to the C33 for the Spanish Grand Prix, which includes a reduction in weight as well as aerodynamic innovations. Giedo van der Garde will have the opportunity to test these new features during the first practice session.
Formula One is back in Europe, and as usual, the teams are bringing many new developments to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. The Sauber team is no exception.
The Swiss team notably reviewed a key element of its C33, its weight, as explained by Giampaolo Dall’Ara, the head of track engineering: « For the Spanish Grand Prix, both our C33s will have essential upgrades, with a significant weight reduction and consequent improvement in aerodynamics. This update consists of a modified front wing and a new engine cover, new sidepods and deflectors, as well as a number of other aerodynamic changes. »
A novelty has also been introduced by one of Sauber’s partners, Ferrari, at the power unit level: « In addition to that, we will also have a software improvement which should allow us to better utilize the potential of the power unit. We are expecting a very busy Friday on track to find the right settings with our new package. »
With all these elements, which should make Adrian Sutil’s and Esteban Gutiérrez’s C33 cars more competitive, the goal is to fight in the top 10: « However, we know that all the other teams are also making progress, so it will be interesting to see where we stand. We will clearly do our best to fight for points. »
The task will not be easy for the Mexican who will give his place to Giedo van der Garde during free practice 1, the Dutchman is delighted to be able to drive again: « It’s nice to return to Europe and especially to Barcelona. The Circuit de Catalunya is a track I really enjoy. We will have some new developments, and our C33 will be lighter, so it will be interesting to see how the car behaves. I am confident and look forward to being back behind the wheel. After free practice 1 on Friday, I will have a whole day of testing on Tuesday, so I am looking forward to that. »
