Formula 1

Kaltenborn confident Sauber will soon turn things around

1 Mins read
World © Octane Photographic Ltd. Sauber F1 Team C35 – Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson. Thursday 26th May 2016, F1 Monaco GP Practice 1, Monaco, Monte Carlo - Credit: Octane Photographic Ltd

It is no secret that the Sauber F1 team has been struggling financially this season, missing a week of pre-season testing prior to the start of the campaign as well as sitting out the recent in-season test session in Barcelona. They have also already been late with staff payments, and developments or upgrades are few and far between.

Team Boss Monisha Kaltenborn is however more confident than most that the Swiss squad will turn things around, and speaking after the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix she emphasised the teams commitment to overcoming their challenges.

“We are working very hard to overcome the situation and I’m confident that we’ll resolve it shortly.”

It is true that the team enjoyed a more successful time under the management of Peter Sauber, but Kaltenborn is quick to point out that F1 is no longer run in the same manner as it was back then, and so the challenges faced by the team in today’s world, are very different.

“I think Formula 1 has changed a lot. If you look at the times when Peter Sauber was here, it was a very different sport and a very different kind of business with a very different financial set-up and sporting set-up. So I don’t think that you can really compare the times…

“Challenges for private teams like ours have become bigger, year-by-year, particularly also due to the rule changes which have made things in the last few years far more expensive. If you look at the powertrain itself but also with regard to the distribution of income…

“There was a time when teams were not getting 50 per cent [of the income] but even less, but yet the economic environment was much better, where you could get far more sponsors. “It isn’t just the people or the situation at the team, but the overall surroundings.”

What the Sauber F1 team did not need is the situation that befell them at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, when drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr took each other out of the race when fighting over team orders. It was a disappointing result with both cars sustaining damage, and was definitely not a very good advert for potential sponsors.

Related posts
Formula 1

2024 Australian Grand Prix - TCF Driver of the Weekend

2 Mins read
TheCheckeredFlag Driver of the Weekend is revealed for the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.
Formula 1

2024 Australian Grand Prix – What the Team Principals are Saying after the Race

7 Mins read
The ten Team Principals reflect on drivers performances at Albert Park during Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix, a race that saw Ferrari claim their first win of 2024.
Formula 1

2024 Australian Grand Prix – What the Drivers are Saying after the Race – Part 2

7 Mins read
Those who missed out on points in Australia reflect on their races, including Max Verstappen, who retired from a Grand Prix for the first time since the same event in 2022.