Belgian GP: Sauber preview

Hinwil - After the summer break Formula One returns to the longest circuit on the Grand Prix calendar: One lap stretches over seven kilometers on the challenging uphill and downhill track of Spa-Francorchamps, where the Belgian Grand Prix on 29th of August will be the 13th of 19 World Championship Rounds in 2010. Peter Sauber's team wants to continue its positive trend. Just before the holidays, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, for the first time this season both drivers, Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi, scored points.

Pedro de la Rosa:
"It is a long time since I have raced in Spa, but it is a circuit you hardly ever forget. It is extremely challenging with the high speed corners. Eau Rouge nowadays will be flat out, and at the end of the following straight there is a good overtaking possibility. The track is extremely nice to drive and when it rains it becomes even more exciting. I think for a typical Spa weekend you have to have rain at some point. Racing in Spa is all about rhythm, as you need to keep the cornering speed very high. I enjoyed the holiday break, but I must say I prefer this after the end of the season. I did a lot of sports and can't wait to go racing again, especially as our car is getting better and better. I am desperately looking forward to hunting for some more championship points."

Kamui Kobayashi:
"I have had good experiences racing in Formula Renault and GP2 in Spa- Francorchamps. It is a great track for a driver, and really exciting! That is mainly because of its high speed corners. Plus the views you get from the circuit being integrated into the natural landscape are exceptional. I am quite sure our car will be good in these fast corners. Perhaps it won't be so good on the straight, but let's wait and see how it goes when we all get back refreshed after the summer break. What always worries me a bit is the weather in Spa. It can be very unpredictable and include heavy rain in some parts of the circuit, while it is dry in others."

Technical Director James Key:
"It will be good to go back to Spa and we are looking forward to racing on this unique circuit, which is always a big favourite with the drivers. The track layout is obviously very different from the circuits we have recently raced on. For the first time since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, we will be returning to a lower drag configuration for the car. Certainly we want to continue with the recent form we have shown, and the package for Spa is based around the ongoing developments we have introduced since Valencia. We will need to leave our options open as regards car setup and downforce levels to find the best possible compromise for the fast sectors one and three, where you benefit from low drag, and sector two, which favours a higher downforce level. As always in Spa, you need to be flexible and take the unpredictable weather conditions into account. We are very much looking forward to an exciting Belgian Grand Prix and the restart of the season after the summer break."

-source: sauber