In a press release, the Sauber team confirmed its driver lineup for the next season. Kamui Kobayashi, a 24-year-old Japanese, Sergio Pérez, a 21-year-old Mexican, and Esteban Gutiérrez, a 19-year-old Mexican, will be the three drivers for Peter Sauber’s team in 2012.
These three drivers are already part of the team this year. Kobayashi will retain his role as leader and first driver to aid in the development, notably of the car. Pérez, for his part, will assume the role of second driver while Gutiérrez will be the reserve driver.
If the choice was made so quickly, it’s because Peter Sauber is delighted with his current line-up. We are very happy with our drivers. Kamui [Kobayashi] has made great progress in his role this year. Even though it’s only his second season in F1, he is already making decisions and taking responsibilities that naturally position him as the number 1 driver in the team. We are happy with him both from a sporting and personal perspective. We had an option with him for 2012 and we never had any doubts about renewing it.
« Sergio [Pérez] has achieved more than what could be expected from a rookie. From his first race, he proved that he was capable of driving fast and, above all, consistently. Furthermore, after his accident in Monaco, he showed that he was capable of handling complicated situations. From the beginning, we had signed a contract with him beyond 2011. Naturally, we took a risk, but it is clearly paying off today. »
Peter Sauber also appreciates the behavior of his reserve driver. The Mexican is progressing well and learning quickly: Esteban [Gutiérrez]’s career is going well, he is making progress. After his victory in the GP3 championship, it was logical for him to move up to GP2 where he already has a victory to his name. He will enter Formula 1 when he is ready for it. We have been by his side since 2010 and will remain so until his entry into F1.
The 2011 season has barely started its 11th race of the season and already 1/3 of the grid is known. A summary will be provided very soon.
