2016 review: Sauber saves itself thanks to Felipe Nasr

Important numbers

Place in the Constructors’ Championship: 10th

It’s not clear what “Pole: 0” refers to, and it doesn’t appear to be translatable.

Victory: 0

Podium: 0

Points: 2

Best result: 9th (Nasr: Brazil)

Best qualifying: 14th (Ericsson: Singapore)

A tight duel between Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr

The comparison between the results of the two Sauber drivers can give a false impression. Indeed, the most important result is obviously that of the points. In this regard, it’s the Brazilian who fares the best since he was the only one to score points. This was achieved in extraordinary conditions at Interlagos, where he managed to avoid all the traps of a chaotic race, with five safety cars and two red flags. It’s this 9th place obtained under difficult conditions that allows the Swiss team to be back in the top 10, just ahead of Manor.

But this single result does not reflect the entire situation and may even seem misleading. Indeed, if we look at both the duels in qualifying and in the race, it is the Swede who is ahead of his teammate. Thus in the qualifying exercise, Marcus Ericsson was able to outperform his teammate 12 times out of the 21 sessions. He also achieved the best performance, with a 14th place finish on the streets of Singapore.

Similarly, if we analyze race performance, the Swede has no reason to be ashamed of his record as he wins again 9-5 (excluding races where one of the two drivers retired). He was the one who came very close to bringing in the team’s first point when he finished in eleventh place in Mexico. Additionally, he was able to secure two 12th places (Bahrain, Spain) while Felipe Nasr managed to do so only once (Europe).

A team financially saved during the season

The season ends well for the team, with this valuable 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship, which will result in significant financial benefits next season. But more importantly, the team has secured its future by being acquired over the summer by the investment fund Longbow Finance, which now owns 100% of the team’s capital. The new owner has nonetheless decided to retain Monisha Kaltenborn as the team principal.

This financial breath of fresh air mainly allowed the team to reinvest in the development of its single-seater, resulting in performance improvements in the final races of the season. Most importantly, it enabled a significant recruitment plan. The team indirectly benefits from the shutdown of Audi’s LMP1 program, with which it had many ties. Jorg Zander thus joined Hinwil as the technical director after having held the same position for the brand with the rings. Other significant reinforcements have joined the team at different levels of the organization to reach the midfield.

A Ferrari engine /f1/news/21627-2016-season-review-vote-for-your-top-10-.html for 2017

In order to address the change in technical regulations regarding the car’s aerodynamics, Sauber has chosen not to take Ferrari’s 2017 engine but to retain the one from the past season. The reason given by the management is that it allows for constructing a race car around a known and reliable power unit rather than waiting for the new architecture developed in Maranello.

However, we were able to see the effect that such a freeze in developments could have on a team like Toro Rosso, doomed to such a situation when it switched late from Renault to Ferrari. While they could regularly fight for points at the start of the season, they then collapsed during the season due to a glaring lack of performance from their engine.

Another seat to fill

Marcus Ericsson benefits from privileged ties with the team’s new shareholder and thus had no difficulty retaining his seat for the next season, his third in a row with the team. However, his teammate is still unknown. Relations between Felipe Nasr and the team are not smooth, which has not been helped by Banco do Brasil’s decision not to continue its support for the driver next season.

The position of the Brazilian is indeed seriously threatened. For a while, the favorite to fill this vacant spot was Pascal Wehrlein. But Nico Rosberg’s surprise retirement has completely changed the prospects for the young German, who could find himself starting in Mercedes’ main team.

Rio Haryanto, who had not been able to solidify his Indonesian backing with Manor, could therefore attempt a comeback on the grid. Unless a young GP2 driver manages to assert their financial arguments to make their entry into the premier category.

Don’t forget to vote for your top 10 drivers of this season /f1/actualite/21627-bilan-de-la-saison-2016-votez-pour-votre-top-10-.html !