Launch of the Sauber C32: Immersion in Hinwil

Given that the technical regulations have changed very little, the Sauber C32 is an evolution of the previous car, which allowed the Hinwil team to secure three podiums during the season.

The first to step onto the stage was Monisha Kaltenborn, now CEO and co-shareholder of the Swiss team. She showed her emotion under the protective gaze of Peter Sauber, always concerned with the team he founded more than two decades ago: “This is the first time for Peter and me that we are switching roles. Being CEO doesn’t change much in my daily work, but it adds pressure. However, it is something that motivates me enormously, and I am therefore looking forward to starting this new season.”

Then it was the turn of the two new main drivers, Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Gutiérrez, to make their appearance on stage. It was their honor to unveil their car for the year. The first thing that caught the eye, aside from the dominance of gray in its new livery, was the narrowness of the C32’s sidepods, much more so than those of its competitors already presented so far.

Matt Morris, the technical director, explained that this choice was made very early in the development of the C32 as it conditions the entire airflow towards the rear of the single-seater. The technical team therefore focused on this aspect from July onwards to optimize it over the months: « It has been a real challenge to fit everything into such a small space, especially since the car still had to pass FIA tests. We also worked a lot on cooling, which will be essential during hot races like the ones we have at the beginning of the year. »

Like what was done last year, the design of the C32 aims to be easily and cost-effectively upgradeable: new parts, especially at the rear, will appear during the Barcelona tests and in Melbourne. We wanted to develop a car that looks aggressive and is aggressive on the track. What we sought to do was to build on our strengths from last year and eliminate our weaknesses. The problem when you are looking for the last two or three tenths is that your car can become very difficult to handle. That happened to us last year: in some races, we were in a very good position, other times, we were at the back of the grid. That is something we don’t want to repeat: we want to have a competitive car on all circuits.

In order to prove, if proof were needed, his determination to give everything in the weeks leading up to Melbourne, your servant is currently working with the wind tunnel running at full speed to test the latest developments of different parts of the team.

Last year, Sauber and its drivers were known for their tire management. It’s one of the strengths the team wanted to reinforce: « During the free practice sessions in Brazil, Pirelli provided us with 2013 specification tires. From what we observed, we are not particularly worried about their management in this new season. »

During the press conference following the unveiling of the car, Nico Hülkenberg reflected on the changes he observed compared to his previous two teams: « This is the first non-British team I will race for in F1. This changes the way I work with the engineers as there are many nationalities represented. I can also speak in my native language, which is not unpleasant. »

For Esteban Gutiérrez, who was the third driver for the team for two seasons, 2013 is, of course, a big step forward: « For two years, I was able to observe the functioning of the team and the engineers. Even though I was fully involved, I was still a bit on the outside. Now, I am at the center of the action. My goal for the year is to learn, especially since I don’t know a third of the tracks. But I’m not in F1 just to be in F1: I’m here to succeed in F1! And to succeed, you have to be consistent, you have to achieve good results regularly. That’s what I want to do this year. »

This season, it’s Robin Frijns who will play the role of the third driver. Unlike his predecessor, who was assured of a GP2 seat with the Lotus team, this is not (yet) his case. « As there is no simulator work and, for now, I’m not scheduled to drive on Fridays, I’m looking to have a competition program. But as you well know, nowadays, money is the most important thing. So for now, I’m merely in discussions with several GP2 teams but I’m not yet decided on what I’ll do next year. So for now, I’ll seek to learn as much as possible from the two main drivers. »

The issue of funding is also at the center of Monisha Kaltenborn’s concerns: For all private teams, financing is essential since it allows us to develop the thousands of ideas our engineers have. But the current global economic context is not favorable, so we must make even more efforts to be where we want to be.

One of the questions on everyone’s lips was obviously the team’s preparation for 2014. Has the question of its engine supplier already been settled? « We have had a partnership with Ferrari for ten years, but at present, even they still have questions about this engine. But I want to be as clear as possible: We are only talking with Ferrari for 2014! » That is clear enough while questions arise about the continuation of engine supply to other Ferrari customer teams: Toro Rosso might be tempted to join the Renault camp to benefit from Red Bull’s expertise. At the same time, Ferrari is using all its influence to place Jules Bianchi at Sahara Force India, potentially with an engine supply contract at stake.

Another hot topic for Monisha Kaltenborn: the Concorde Agreements. These have not yet been definitively signed, but this does not seem to overly concern her: « It’s a situation we have already experienced in the past. Before the previous Agreements, we went nearly a year and a half without a signed contract. But it would be desirable to reach an agreement quickly to provide visibility to other stakeholders. Fans are an important factor in our sport, and it is important that they know where we are headed. This will allow us to focus on the achievements we have and go beyond them. We must show that F1 is adapting to the current economic difficulties. »

To illustrate its communication strategy aimed at its many fans, Sauber has set up a competition that allowed a few lucky winners to attend today’s event live. They were able to see and speak with the three drivers, who were very approachable throughout the event, both for the media present and for the fans.