Sauber F1 Team has done all that they can to prepare for the first race weekend of their 25th year in Formula One, but they are confident that the 3,600km completed during testing has left them in good stead for the season opener.
Marcus Ericsson is entering the weekend with a positive attitude, happy with the data collected in Barcelona, and looking forward to Albert Park’s unique atmosphere.
“I like Melbourne a lot as it is a fantastic place,” he said. “The fans and the atmosphere there are just great – I always enjoy being downtown in Melbourne and on the circuit at Albert Park.
“I can’t wait to finally kick off the 2017 Formula One season in Australia. After challenging pre-season testing with a lot of data collection and preparation, I am going to Melbourne with a positive mindset.
“Now we have to see how things work out during the first race weekend with the new car.
The Melbourne circuit is unique in the fact that it is not a permanent track, and teams expect its surface to improve as the weekend goes on. Due to the abrasiveness of the track Pirelli has allocated the soft, supersoft and ultrasoft tyres, from which Ericsson has opted to run 2 soft, 4 supersoft and 7 ultrasoft sets.
“The Albert Park circuit is a bit tricky with a mix of permanent race track and a street circuit,” he added. “In general I think it is going to be a challenge to find the right set-up, but I am confident we will get this done.”