Breaking news
Formula 1 Chinese GP
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Peter Sauber has said it would be foolish for his eponymous team to expect to keep its current fourth place in the Formula 1 constructors' standings, despite its strong start to the 2015 season.
GMM
Edited: Apr 13, 2015, 1:25 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Just days after the Giedo van der Garde saga exploded in the Melbourne courtroom last month, Sauber put its point-less 2014 season firmly in the past as Felipe Nasr drove to a superb fifth place on his F1 debut, backed up by teammate Marcus Ericsson's eighth place finish.
After the duo scored yet more points in China on Sunday, the Swiss team, once written off as the sport's likely next casualty, is now fourth overall in the constructors' championship, six points clear of the struggling former champion Red Bull squad.
But the team's founder Peter Sauber, has warned that the current state of affairs cannot be expected to last, despite the rapid improvement in the squad's fortunes.
"Shanghai showed that the result of Australia was not an accident, but it is an illusion that we can keep this place," Sauber told the Swiss newspaper Blick.
"But even sixth would be terrific and extremely important for our future."
Asked how the team has managed its giant leap over the winter, Sauber admitted: "In the first instance it is the Ferrari engine.
"They have taken a big step forward, but the team has also developed and improved."
He also defended his drivers Nasr and Ericsson, who were derided by some observers as 'pay drivers' after replacing Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil at the end of last season.
"I would not say that the drivers last year were worse," said Sauber. "But they were not terribly motivated. That has now changed.
"We had Felipe Nasr on the radar for the last three or four years; we were always confident that he has a lot of potential. And Marcus Ericsson is not so far behind."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Wolff: Team wins have priority over driver battle
Next article Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
GMM
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Formula 1
Formula 1
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Formula 1
Formula 1
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Rosberg: I'm not going to play number 2 role
Formula 1
Formula 1
Chinese GP
Rosberg: I'm not going to play number 2 role
More from
Esteban Gutierrez
"This is the American dream": Inside Haas’ shock F1 debut 10 years on
Formula 1
Formula 1
"This is the American dream": Inside Haas’ shock F1 debut 10 years on
Gutierrez joins Glickenhaus for Le Mans as full entry list revealed
WEC
WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
Gutierrez joins Glickenhaus for Le Mans as full entry list revealed
Ex-F1 driver Gutierrez joins Inter Europol for 2022 WEC campaign
WEC
WEC
Ex-F1 driver Gutierrez joins Inter Europol for 2022 WEC campaign
More from
Sauber
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Formula 1
You Ask The Questions: Robert Kubica
Lewis Hamilton 'almost signed for Sauber' before F1 debut, says Peter Sauber
Formula 1
Formula 1
Barcelona-Catalunya Pre-Season Testing
Lewis Hamilton 'almost signed for Sauber' before F1 debut, says Peter Sauber
F1 2025 season highlights: Fans crown Nico Hulkenberg's podium and Lando Norris's title as top moments
Formula 1
Formula 1
F1 2025 season highlights: Fans crown Nico Hulkenberg's podium and Lando Norris's title as top moments
Latest news
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
6 h
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Kimi Antonelli ready to "finish the job" as first F1 title chance beckons at US GP
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
6 h
Kimi Antonelli ready to "finish the job" as first F1 title chance beckons at US GP
How to watch NASCAR at Talladega II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
7 h
How to watch NASCAR at Talladega II: Weekend schedule, start time, entry list, TV
Peterson Racing addresses online abuse after parting ways with Austin Green
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Talladega II
7 h
Peterson Racing addresses online abuse after parting ways with Austin Green
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe