Sauber reveals 2017 F1 challenger
The Sauber Formula 1 team has revealed its challenger for the 2017 season. The C36 features a shark fin and a new blue and gold livery.
Sauber, which finished 10th in the constructors’ championship last year, will unveil its car in full on February 22 during a filming day at Barcelona.
Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein will be the team’s drivers, though Antonio Giovinazzi will fulfil testing duties for the injured Wehrlein at the first test, which starts on February 27.
The C36 features a re-shaped rear wing, similar to that of the Williams FW40, and a thumb-tip nose design.There are only a handful of sponsors, while the car sports an anniversary logo on its engine cover to mark its 25th season in F1.
Speaking at the end of last season, team principal Monica Kaltenborn said the future looks “extremely exciting” and is confident new investor Longbow Finance is involved for the long haul.
New technical director Jorg Zander said the team “put greater emphasis on aerodynamic stability as opposed to maximising downforce” with the C36.
Zander, who joins from Audi ahead of this season, said the decision to run a year-old Ferrari engine gave the outfit a solid foundation as it is “a tried and tested system with higher durability to begin with.”
He added: “Being able to get started early and defining the engine environment was an advantage because the team was familiar with the engine and the transmission as well as the cooling requirements the engine entailed.”
