Frederic Vasseur says the recent changes introduced to Formula 1 by Liberty Media won’t have any effect on the kind of racing the spectators will see on the track.
The Team Principal of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team says he likes the idea of ‘Grid Kids’ coming in to the sport in place of Grid Girls, while he accepts the Halo has been brought in on safety grounds, but neither of those, nor the change of start time, will have any implications on the racing.
“They are two different things,” said Vasseur to Swiss publication Blick. “The grid girls are replaced by grid kids and I like that.
“And Halo is about safety, and in a serious accident we will be very grateful for it. [But] nothing has changed on the track so far. Only in marketing. Even the new start times will not turn F1 upside down.”
Vasseur says that despite the partnership with Alfa Romeo beginning in 2018, the Italian manufacturer still wants to keep the Sauber name as a brand, but it gives the team a great opportunity to push forward for the first time since the BMW Sauber days between 2006 and 2009, where they became regular podium contenders and took a solitary win for Robert Kubica in the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
“They identify with us and want to keep Sauber as a brand,” said Vasseur. “It is probably the first time since the BMW time that Sauber has such a good opportunity.
“We will be faster, but in 2017 we were far behind. We want to fight in the midfield but we must not forget that this is a long-term project.”
