Sauber set to introduce several new upgrades for Silverstone

Sauber are one of many teams set to introduce new upgrades to their car for this weekends British Grand Prix, as the team aims for another competitive race weekend at Silverstone. The Swiss-based team have had a season of sporadic results so far, with Sergio Perez finishing on the podium at both the Malaysian and Canadian Grands Prix.

However, the British Grand Prix is going to be a tough race weekend for Sauber, as Kamui Kobayashi will endure a 5-place grid penalty for his wrongdoings at the European Grand Prix last time out. With Sergio Perez struggling in qualifying recently, Sauber are unsurprisingly aiming for an improvement in qualifying on Saturday.

“I really like the Silverstone circuit.” Explained Sergio Perez, “I have won there in Formula 3 and in GP2 and also last year my first Formula One race was good. I came seventh and this was actually my best race result in 2011. In my view in Silverstone it is even more difficult to overtake than it was in Valencia, therefore qualifying is high priority on the job list. I need a better grid position than recently. I like the fast and fluid corners a lot, so this is a very enjoyable part of the track.”

Like with many of the teams up and down the grid, new upgrades are high on agenda this weekend. Sauber will be introducing a new aerodynamic package, which will include modifications to the rear of the car.

“An important factor in Silverstone is always the weather, an aspect we need to take into consideration when preparing for the race weekend, and something which we might to need to adapt to during the race.” Said Sauber’s Head of Track Engineering, Giampaolo Dall’Ara. “Our Sauber C31 will get an aerodynamic development package, which includes some modifications of the engine cover and the rear of the car. Looking at the layout of this track and the characteristics of our car, I think we can approach this race weekend with a lot of optimism.”

Sauber’s best finish around Silverstone came in 2008, when Nick Heidfeld brought his BMW-powered machine home in 2nd position behind Lewis Hamilton in the wet. With the weather conditions set to possibly match those of 2008 this weekend, there is even more of a possibility for Sauber to possibly equal or even better Heidfeld’s result.

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