The Sauber F1 Team seem to have been on a downward spiral in recent races, seemingly losing out to their rivals in the development race, with neither Felipe Nasr of Marcus Ericsson coming close to scoring points in Canada two weeks ago despite arriving in the country with confidence.
The team now arrive at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix, with both the Brazilian and the Swede eager to return to the points paying positions.
Nasr competed in the supporting GP2 Series at the Red Bull Ring twelve months ago, winning the Saturday Feature race, and is looking forward to making his first Formula 1 start at the circuit this season. He hopes the long straights could benefit the team, but knows it will be another challenging weekend with so many midfield teams having strong packages.
“This season it will be my first time driving a Formula One car in Spielberg,” said Nasr. “I am looking forward to racing there.
“It is quite a fast circuit, with many long straights combined with some high-speed corners. The last two corners before the start and finish line are my favourites, as they are very quick and you have to drive them very precisely.
“The long straights could be a benefit for us, but downforce is also required in the high-speed corners. I assume it will be a challenging weekend fighting against our main competitors, but I am confident we will extract the maximum out of our package.”
Team-mate Ericsson is also ready to return to the Red Bull Ring, having raced their with the Caterham F1 Team in 2014, and had only positive things to say about the Austrian fans who provided such a great atmosphere last year.
“I am delighted to be getting back to Austria and especially Spielberg,” said Ericsson. “The atmosphere during the race weekend last year was amazing – it was a great experience. There were a lot of spectators in the grandstands and on the campsites.
“I like the track a lot, as it is a fast circuit which I am going to enjoy. Overtaking is rather difficult, but there are places where it is possible. I am looking forward to the race weekend.”
