Kamui Kobayashi scored his best ever F1 grid slot (eighth) and Sergio Perez his best finish (seventh) at Silverstone last weekend and now Sauber are looking to build on these results as they prepare to head to the Nürburgring in Germany.
The German Grand Prix alternates between Hockenheim and the Nürburgring and so Kobayashi, who is only in his second full season of Formula 1, has never raced an F1 car here.
“I have only raced once at the Nürburgring, and this was when I drove in GP2 in 2009,” he said. “In those races I finished ninth and third. I remember it being quite a tricky and difficult circuit because it goes up and down quite a lot. Nevertheless, I expect with it being a fast track again, like Silverstone, it should be good for us.
“We know in high speed corners we are very strong, so hopefully we can show a good performance again. I'm very much looking forward to it. I also like swapping the tracks in Germany as it is nice to have a variety.”
Getting back in the points at Silverstone for the first time since his Monaco accident was an important milestone in Perez’s recovery. He now feels it is time to push-on and add to his points tally.
“I am very much looking forward to going back to Germany and having a good race there,” said the Mexican. “For me, after having missed two Grands Prix this year, it is very important now to push forward for the rest of the season and especially before the summer break, which is a very intense period with three races in one month.
“I also drove on the Nordschleife once in a road car. Obviously it is an amazing track. On the modern circuit one of my favourites is the chicane in the last sector, which I enjoy a lot. I also think the circuit should suit our car quite well and, summing it all up, we should have a good race there.”
Sauber technical director James Key is optimistic that the C30-Ferrari will go well at this next track. “The car will continue with the updates we brought to Silverstone, which worked well, and we will have a further small update on the diffuser and the rear brake ducts,” he explains. “After our good performance in Silverstone, we look forward to carrying that momentum forward and trying to score more points in Germany.”
