Formula 1

Sauber Leave Bahrian Without Points

2 Mins read
Kamui Kobayashi - Photo Credit: Sauber Motorsport AG

Kamui Kobayashi - Photo Credit: Sauber Motorsport AG

 

Sauber failed to score any points for the first time this season at today’s Bahrain Grand Prix as Sergio Perez finished only eleventh and Kamui Kobayashi was thirteenth.

“We knew this circuit would not be an easy one for us and we were just too slow today,” said Perez. “We tried both strategies and split them between the cars but today there was nothing that could have really helped us.

“I had a lot of tyre degradation and due to a problem at the pit stop we lost a place and a point to Michael (Schumacher). He was very fast on the straights. I had no chance to get him. Next time we'll do better again.”

Kobayashi attempted a two-stop strategy today, but tyre wear was so great that he had to make a third unscheduled stop seven laps from the end of the race. However, he puts his poor race down to a bad start and a general lack of speed.

“Well, for me the start was too slow,” said the Japanese driver. “I had too much wheelspin and we will look into that. I started on a set of new medium compound tyres and we tried a two stop strategy but in the end it didn't work out.

“The tyres degraded quicker than we hoped and I had to do three stops as well with the last one seven laps before the end.

“I can't see anything that we could have actually done better in today's race. Our problem was a general lack of speed and we will work hard to fix it.“

Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Head of Track Engineering at Sauber, was in agreement with his drivers on the team’s problems today.

“The key point of the race was on lap one when we lost positions,” he said. “The start was possibly not so good. That's something we have to look into. From that point on we were unable to recover.

“With Sergio we had planned a three stop strategy, and we were a bit aggressive with the first stop, but the competition reacted, and we could not benefit.

“With Kamui we decided to go for a two stop strategy, but in the second stint degradation came earlier than expected, so we had to bring him in. Then the third stint was too long, so he had to make another pitstop.

“Altogether we were not strong enough today to recover from all that.”

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