Sauber C31 Ferrari

[marcush.]

sauber not only has one of the best cars but seems to be on top of the tyre management better than others.the fact that both drivers are on opposite ends of the spectrum in their driving seems to help them finding a broad setup window for the tyre?

[Kaivo]

Oh god saubers were too slow. cant heat up tyres again ?

[Lycoming]

I don't know, Perez's lockups probably put some heat in them though. I'm not sure about Kobayashi, looks like he just didn't have pace... Perez, looks like they got his strategy wrong. Certainly seems like they weren't so kind on their tyres today, what with kobayashi 3 stopping, but as we well know, those tyres are very finicky.

[raymondu999]

I don't know, Perez's lockups probably put some heat in them though.

You'd get more heat in them by braking on the limit (rather than locking up). It seems counterintuitive; but the friction will be greater when the tyre isn't locked up.

[Tozza Mazza]

Bahrain will be HOT HOT HOT. With this car being great with tyres, and the pack being a little more spread out than in China (blame the DRS, although it did make for an exciting race in some ways, but not so exciting in others), this car should be back at the sharp end.

[MIKEY_!]

I don't know, Perez's lockups probably put some heat in them though.

You'd get more heat in them by braking on the limit (rather than locking up). It seems counterintuitive; but the friction will be greater when the tyre isn't locked up.

Makes sense. And also that heat would only be generated in one little area under lockup.

[C29]

Was it just me (or the tv camera angles) or did it look like there was lots of extra clag/marbles on the track in China? There were also a few cars going off from it later in the race. I wonder if the Saubers were held up by other cars, and had a hard time passing. It seemed both were always in traffic or behind someone. It think that's were they lost time.

[AnthonyG]

I think they lost out on strategy and a bad start, the car was perhaps not optimal, but their strategy was the main factor imo.

[Sombrero]

Big oil spill on Kamui's starting position !

[shelly]

@tozza mazza: I think instead that the hotter the track, the worse sauber's performance will be.
From the first three races we have seen the car is strong in putting heat into the tyres when the track is cold.

I hope to be proven wrong though, because a sauber at the front would be a nice story.

[MIKEY_!]

We will be at much colder tracks soon so being quick to heat tires on a cold track will be even more of an advantage. Even if you are wrong we could see a sauber at the front.

[Artur Craft]

I think the car is great. Perez finished badly because of his strategy. Untill first pit, Button was holding Kimi and Lewis was holding Perez.

I can't fathom why people say Mclaren is the fastest. Under equal conditions, they were slower than Lotus and Sauber in China.

The car have pace but they need to sort out their strategy better and drivers needs to stop making silly mistakes. Koba's start was very disapointing.

[Forza]

C31 gearbox and rear suspension

[C29]

I can't fathom why people say Mclaren is the fastest. Under equal conditions, they were slower than Lotus and Sauber in China.

I think Sauber are very fast in the speed traps (straight line) but McLaren's overall laptimes are better.

The car have pace but they need to sort out their strategy better and drivers needs to stop making silly mistakes. Koba's start was very disapointing.

I agree. I think it's race strategy that's holding them back. I have a suspicion it's been that way for a few years now. The car's been good on tyres the last couple years, but even so it seems like they sometimes stay out on worn tyres 2-3 laps too long. But it's easy for me to say that from the comfort of my couch

[MIKEY_!]

...do Sauber use a Ferrari gearbox?