Saturday: Sauber thought they would qualify better

BMW Sauber has only the name and engine from BMW, but even so, the team had high hopes of ranking among the top teams today. However, De La Rosa and Kobayashi return to the pits disappointed. The Swiss team failed to master the new track conditions and adapt to the intense heat of the Emirati desert.

De la Rosa, under these conditions, is 14th and acknowledges having made several mistakes. The Spaniard still beats his teammate, the promising Japanese driver. Kobayashi is 16th, just making it into Q2.

The two drivers expect to catch up to their competitors on the track. Stay tuned.

Pedro de la Rosa – 13th and 14th:

« I cannot say that I am satisfied because before we came to Bahrain, we thought we would be better placed in the hierarchy. But we knew that the track would be difficult for us. We knew it wouldn’t suit us and I have to improve too; I made a few mistakes in my last fast lap… So all this is not perfect and may create difficult conditions for us in the race tomorrow. The main difficulty will be caused by the selection of tires. However, it was my first qualification in three years and I am delighted! »

Kamui Kobayashi – 17th and 16th:

« After the winter tests, we thought we would be faster, but I really believe that the new part of the track skewed our statistics. Of course, there is also the weather factor, much warmer here. We are studying all the new conditions and reporting the analyses on the car. We still need to work a lot to improve the F1.10. »

« The race will therefore be difficult, but I have great hope of moving up in the standings. Our car doesn’t consume much tire wear and there is still a chance to score points. »

Peter Sauber – Director:

« After our promising tests, I expected to achieve better qualifications. But the problem mainly arises from the track. It couldn’t be resolved since yesterday, but we are working on it. »