Last Sunday in Canada, Sergio Perez captured his and
Sauber’s second podium place of the season. It came on merit, without
the aid of adverse weather or safety cars, and means the team have
already scored more points this year than in the whole of 2011. Boss
Peter Sauber is now convinced the C31 can perform well anywhere. And
after two decades in the sport, Sauber also believes Formula One fans
have never had it so good…
Q: When did you realise on Sunday that a podium place was within grasp?
Peter Sauber:
Not until late on in the race. Sergio had started from 15th on the
grid, so you wouldn’t normally be contemplating a podium place - you’d
be happy just to get into the points. But once the front-runners began
to develop problems with their tyres towards the end of the race, it
became clear that something very special could be unfolding. Unlike the
other drivers, Sergio was not affected by these tyre problems and was
able to continue his all-out offensive right to the end. He drove an
extraordinary race.
Q: Did the result come as a surprise?
PS:
Yes and no. Of course it was a surprise that Sergio managed to advance
from 15th on the grid to a third-placed finish in a perfectly normal
race, without rain and without any safety-car periods. But basically we
knew the Sauber C31 was far better than the results of the last few GPs
might have suggested. Our performance in Barcelona and Monaco fell well
short of our capability. We had the potential in both races to be right
up in front, but things just didn’t fall into place.
Q: What are your expectations for the upcoming races?
PS:
If we manage to exploit our full potential as a team, in other words
get everything right from Friday morning to Sunday evening, a great deal
is possible. After seven races it is patently clear that the C31 can be
fast on virtually any kind of track.
Q: Do you think a win would be on the cards?
PS:
Before the season I don’t suppose anyone would have put that question
to me. But now, after seven races with seven different winners, so much
seems possible. In Malaysia we came very close to winning. Further
podium places certainly seem a realistic prospect. The prerequisite of
course is that our drivers go into the race from good grid positions.
Q: Not everyone is happy about seven races with seven different winners - it throws them. What’s your take?
PS:
As far as I can see it’s just a handful of people in the paddock who
can’t get used to not knowing by Friday who’s going to win on Sunday. I
think the fans see it in a completely different light. They’re delighted
with the unpredictability, the sheer variety and the unbelievably close
competition. I’ve been in Formula One for 20 years now and for me it’s
never been better or more exciting. That’s partly down to Pirelli, who
are supplying the tyres for this show.
Q: Can Sauber keep up with the major players when it comes to further development of the car?
PS:
Of course the four big teams have very different financial
possibilities compared to the private teams in the middle of the pack.
But that doesn’t in any way discourage us. Our forte is efficiency. The
development package that was given its first airing in Barcelona showed
what we are capable of. The crucial thing is that the C31 gives us an
excellent foundation with real potential for further development.
Q: What are your targets for the rest of the season?
PS:
At the start of the season we said that we wanted to pick up points
regularly and improve our position in the constructors’ rankings. That
essentially remains in place, but naturally I’m now keen to see a few
more podium places. The fact is that after seven out of 20 races we have
a tally of 58 points. That’s already 14 more than we had at the end of
last season. So far things are panning out quite well.
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