Both Sauber drivers declared themselves happy with the car after the first two practice sessions for this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The second session was blighted slightly by rain but, despite the resulting reduced running, Sergio Perez is still confident that C31 should hold up well in qualifying on Saturday.
“The conditions were not ideal to do the work but we are looking good in the wet, so this is positive,” said the Mexican, who finished the day fifteenth fastest. “In the dry there is some work to do, which we didn't manage in the morning. However, I am confident as this morning we were very quick, the car is performing well and I think we can be competitive in qualifying on Saturday.”
Team-mate Kamui Kobayashi, who was eighth fastest this afternoon, noted the improvements from the 2011 car, but would have like to have spent more time on track this afternoon.
“Everything went smoothly today,” he said. “The car has definitely improved in the slow corners compared to last year, and this is obviously crucial in Monaco. The balance of the car feels good and I'm pretty confident for the weekend. I just can't predict how the two tyre compounds will develop in the race because the weather prevented us from doing proper long runs.”