Breaking news
Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP
Sauber can be "very competitive" with low-fuel fix
The Sauber C37 Formula 1 car can be "very competitive" once the team addresses its low-fuel weakness, driver Charles Leclerc believes.
Valentin Khorounzhiy
Edited: May 7, 2018, 3:04 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Leclerc's breakout sixth-place finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix took the Swiss outfit to 10 points from the first four races, its 2018 tally already bigger than that its points totals from three of the four previous seasons.
The team's qualifying form, however, has been more subdued, with Baku marking the first time this season that a Sauber made it out of the first qualifying segment.
Leclerc's Azerbaijan GP result was aided by attrition, but the Monegasque has highlighted the opening stint - in which he maintained top-10 pace and even kept the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen at bay for a number of laps - as evidence of the C37's race pace prowess.
"As I was saying before the race, our race pace is stronger than our qualifying pace at the moment," Leclerc explained.
"Now we really need to investigate that and to make our low-fuel pace better.
"But if we manage to do that, we should be very competitive - because our race pace at the beginning of the race was really great. Then at the end with low fuel we struggled a bit more."
Marcus Ericsson, who had recorded the team's other points-scoring finish of 2018 in China by finishing ninth from 17th on the grid, reckoned that Sauber is struggling with the softer compounds that it has to run in qualifying.
"It’s still clear we are struggling more over one lap than race pace," Ericsson said. "Charles did a very good job in qualifying [in Baku] but still I think we are stronger in the race.
"We are really struggling with the softer compounds, I have a feeling that for some reason we haven’t really found a way to optimise them yet."
The Swede added that making the C37 more competitive over one lap should now be top of Sauber's to-do list.
"For me that’s the main priority now going forward, that we manage to find an extra bit of performance on Saturdays, because I really feel on Sundays we have a good car to fight the midfield.
"Charles’ pace today was really strong compared to the cars around him and if we have a good track position for the race, starting in the mix, we can have strong races.
"You need a good starting position. We need to take a step."
Additional reporting by Scott Mitchell
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 Alonso hopes rivals' Spanish GP upgrades falter
Next article Williams queries stewards calls and Alonso recovery
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Valentin Khorounzhiy
WTCR's April opener cancelled due to coronavirus
WTCR
WTCR
Hungaroring
WTCR's April opener cancelled due to coronavirus
Australian GP issues update on nine F1 paddock coronavirus tests
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Australian GP issues update on nine F1 paddock coronavirus tests
Motorsport Games unveils 15 disciplines for 2020
General
General
Motorsport Games unveils 15 disciplines for 2020
More from
Charles Leclerc
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
14 h
Max Verstappen on Ferrari clashes: "I would never sign two number-one drivers"
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
Charles Leclerc penalised for Liam Lawson clash; Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman also punished after F1 Brazilian GP
More from
Sauber
Sebastian Vettel reveals why BMW didn't want him – but Red Bull did
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sebastian Vettel reveals why BMW didn't want him – but Red Bull did
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
Latest news
IndyCar 2026 season review: ECR
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 5 h
IndyCar 2026 season review: ECR
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
5 h
Toto Wolff reflects on Mercedes’ non-title years: ‘We weren’t complete losers’
Renger van der Zande moves to IMSA’s LMP2 class full-time with Tower Motorsports
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 6 h
Renger van der Zande moves to IMSA’s LMP2 class full-time with Tower Motorsports
Nick Sanchez will compete for 2027 NASCAR Truck title with McAnally-Hilgemann
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Homestead
6 h
Nick Sanchez will compete for 2027 NASCAR Truck title with McAnally-Hilgemann
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
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