Despite introducing numerous updates to the C35 at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, things are not currently going to plan for the Sauber F1 Team, as driver Marcus Ericsson has incurred a ten place grid penalty for Sunday’s race, due to an engine change following this morning’s FP1 session.
The Hinwil based squad have had to change the ICE and turbo charger on the Swede’s car, the latter being his sixth component of the season and therefore seeing the 25-year-old awarded a penalty forfeit.
Ericsson has not qualified higher than fifteenth place so far this year, which was back at the third round of the season in China, and so is highly likely to start from the back of the grid on Sunday, although the new parts brought to Belgium were hoped to boost the performance of the Swede and team-mate Felipe Nasr this weekend.
The Belgian Grand Prix is the first chance the Sauber F1 Team have had to bring their planned upgrades from earlier in the season along to a race weekend, after being taken over by Longbow Finance.
The Swiss investment company have given the Hinwil based squad a much needed cash boost, which should now allow them to compete for the remainder of the F1 season, a concept which at one point had not looked certain, after the Swiss squad hit financial struggles that threatened to end their campaign.
The grid penalty will therefore be an unwelcome obstacle, to what the Sauber F1 team hope will be a much improved weekend.
