Busy day for Sauber at Japan due to numerous updates
The Sauber F1 Team was busy testing the new aero package on the Sauber C30-Ferrari during the first two free practice sessions of the Japanese Grand Prix. The car’s update includes a new front wing, two new rear wings, new brake ducts in the front and modified brake ducts in the rear, as well as a modified floor and new turning vanes.
For the race weekend in Suzuka the Sauber F1 Team has additional support from Japanese partners. Kamui Kobayashi’s personal sponsor, the Kinshukai Group, a large group of hospitals in Japan, has placed its logos on the side of the headrest as well as on the top of the drivers’ helmets. Also last year the Kinshukai Group extended its involvement for this home race.
Also for “Scalp D” its appearance is a return to the Sauber F1 Team. The Japanese name of the high-tech hair care programme Scalp D was on the car during the entire 2010 season, and for this year’s Japanese Grand Prix it is placed on the drivers’ visors.
Sergio Pérez:
Sauber C30-Ferrari (Chassis 03 / Ferrari 056)
1st Practice: 15th / 1:37.103 min (29 laps) / 2nd Practice: 13th / 1:34,393 min (35 laps)
“We really have completed a good programme today. It is my first time here and it is quite a difficult circuit. There is definitely room for improvement from me, and we also have to get the most out of our new aero package. The tyre degradation on the front was quite big, and we have to improve the balance to cope with that in the race.”
Kamui Kobayashi:
Sauber C30-Ferrari (Chassis 02 / Ferrari 056)
1st Practice: 13th / 1:36.948 min (24 laps) / 2nd Practice: 16th / 1:36,038 min (33 laps)
“With all the updates we have to the car here we were quite busy today checking everything, and it is good that we managed to complete the programme without any problems. My lap time obviously doesn’t look good because I spun in a fast corner when I had my fresh set of soft tyres. Overall I think we can improve the balance of the car, and also our pace when we now go to look for the best possible solutions for what we have learned today.”
James Key, Technical Director: “It was a hard days’ work. We had a lot of new parts, which we had to run through methodically, and overall those parts are working as predicted. In the afternoon we continued some back-to-back comparisons of the new rear wings, and we are now happy with the one we have selected for the Suzuka circuit. We did some further set-up work and the normal tyre comparison. Actually the difference between the soft and the medium compound is huge. Unfortunately Kamui had a spin with his new set of soft tyres, but until then his lap looked quite promising. We still have to do some work on the balance of the car, and there is a lot of data to be analysed for tomorrow and for the race preparation.”
