After a promising season so far, the Sauber F1 Team arrive in Spain for round five of the Formula 1 season sitting fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, with both Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson having scored points twice.
Ericsson, who was also on course to score points in the last race in Bahrain before a pit stop issue, knows the importance of finding a good set-up that will help him set competitive lap times at the Circuit de Catalunya, as well as managing his tyres in such a way to make them last.
“It is nice coming back to Barcelona, a track we know quite well from testing,” said Ericsson. “The track is quite demanding for the tyres, especially for the left front tyre and mainly because of turn three, which is a long, right-hand bend.
“Normally with the warmer temperatures in Barcelona, I assume the tyre degradation will be quite high. Thus, it will be crucial to find a set-up on which we are able to set good lap times, as well as having good tyre management. These are two facts we need to focus on during the weekend building up to the race.”
Team-mate Nasr is hopeful of getting his third points finish of the season in Spain to add to his results in Australia and China, and is happy that he’s racing in Europe for the first time in 2015 on a track he knows well.
“I am looking forward to our first race in Europe,” insisted Nasr. “I know the track in Barcelona quite well from many of the series I have raced in.
“It is a technical track, which requires a good downforce due to its high-speed corners, as well as strong traction because of its slow-speed corners in the last sector.
“These are the two main factors for a good lap time. We have to maximise everything we have and take every opportunity to fight again for points.”