Hinwil, 17th May 2012 – At the Spanish Grand Prix last Sunday Sauber F1 Team driver Kamui Kobayashi managed to equal what was up to then his best race result in his Formula One career. The Japanese came fifth at the Circuit de Catalunya, just as he had done at the Monaco Grand Prix in 2011.
In the interests of continuity, Peter Sauber has taken the decision to transfer a third of the stake in the Sauber Group to CEO Monisha Kaltenborn. Sauber, the Team Principal and President of the Board of Directors of all Sauber Group companies, will retain the remaining two thirds.
The Sauber F1 Team has got ten more points to its tally thanks to Kamui Kobayashi finishing fifth at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Japanese had to start ninth after an hydraulic problem yesterday prevented him from driving in Q3. He showed a great race performance and exciting overtaking manoeuvres at the Circuit de Catalunya. His team mate, Sergio Pérez, who was fifth on the grid, retired from the race due to a transmission problem. The performance of the Sauber C31 proved that the development package was a significant step forward.
For the second time this year both the Sauber F1 Team drivers have made it into the final qualifying session. While Sergio Pérez was able to secure his best qualifying result in Formula One so far with sixth in Q3, his team mate Kamui Kobayashi only could witness what was going on from the sidelines. The Japanese finished ninth in Q2, but then was forced to stop on track because of an hydraulic leak.
The Sauber F1 Team enjoyed a productive first day of practice ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The new aerodynamic update, which had been tested last week at the Mugello circuit, seems to work fine at the Circuit de Catalunya. Kamui Kobayashi came third and ninth respectively in the two 90-minute sessions of free practice on Friday. Sergio Pérez was 15th and 12th respectively on the time sheets.
The Sauber F1 Team is looking forward to the first European round of the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship, which will be the Santander Spanish Grand Prix on the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona held from 11th to 13th of May.
For all the teams this circuit is the most familiar one of all. Two pre-season tests took place there in February and March. At last week’s test in Mugello, Italy, the Sauber C31-Ferrari was equipped with a new aero package which was tested by both the team’s racing drivers, Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Pérez.
The third and final day of testing held during the season at the Mugello circuit was another productive one for the Sauber F1 Team. With Sergio Pérez having taken over the Sauber C31-Ferrari from Kamui Kobayashi, the focus again was on evaluating the new aero parts of the C31 and testing the package for the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
Hinwil, 3rd May 2012 – The Sauber F1 Team is forging ahead with its commitment to the environment. After ISO 14001 certification was awarded to the company’s environmental management system in early April, the next step is in place: with immediate effect, the Swiss team operates greenhouse gas neutral. This is the result of a new promotional partnership with Carbon Neutral Investments (CNI), one of the world’s leading companies for carbon offset schemes.
News search
