Official: Gutiérrez continues with Sauber
After Adrian Sutil's arrival to the Swiss team, the name of his teammate for 2014 was eagerly awaited. Unsurprisingly, Esteban Gutiérrez has been confirmed and will begin his second season as a main driver.
Adrian Sutil now knows the name of his teammate for the 2014 season: Esteban Gutiérrez. It is notably thanks to the renewed support of Carlos Slim’s telecommunications company, Telmex, which also supports the other Mexican driver Sergio Pérez, that Gutiérrez was able to continue with Sauber.
« I am very happy to continue my career as a Sauber driver, » said the Mexican. « The technical challenge will be significant in 2014, and it will be even more important to know well the people you work with. It will be my fourth year with the team, my second as a main driver. Last season, I constantly improved thanks to working with the team. In 2014, I will do everything I can to improve and help Sauber in the best way possible. »
For Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal of the Hinwil-based team, Gutiérrez can only do better next season: « Last season, he learned how difficult it can be for a rookie to enter Formula 1. Nevertheless, throughout the season, he improved significantly in qualifying and racing and finished the season as the best rookie in the drivers’ championship. Often, the results do not fully reflect the performances. I am convinced that Esteban will be able to use his experience to achieve results, and he will be well aided by the fact that he knows every member of the team very well. »
The Swiss team also confirmed the extension of its partnership with Telmex, which Monisha Kaltenborn is pleased about: “We are proud that three years ago Telmex chose the Sauber F1 team to enter Formula 1, and that our partnership has been a success from the start. We are delighted to be able to continue this good cooperation, and we believe it aligns perfectly with the potential hosting of a Grand Prix in Mexico.”
Sergey Sirotkin, announced as a 2014 main driver when the Russian investors’ team took a stake in mid-year, will ultimately be a test driver.
« It’s a great opportunity for me to become the test driver for the Sauber F1 team. I will work hard to improve and make the most of this opportunity. Formula 1 is very complex, so it is important to have an opportunity like this. However, I will fully concentrate on the World Series by Renault next year, which is a very competitive championship. This will give me a chance to prepare even better to be ready for the next big step, » the Russian stated in the press release issued by Sauber.
Gutiérrez will team up with Adrian Sutil, already confirmed last week. The only remaining uncertainty is the main drivers at Caterham, where Kamui Kobayashi could return, alongside Van der Garde or Marcus Ericsson. Charles Pic sees his future darkening with the Greens. At Marussia, Bianchi is still waiting to find out who he will drive with in 2014. Max Chilton remains on track for a second season with the Russian team.
