Sauber C31 launch – first pictures and video of Sauber’s 2012 F1 car
2012 F1 cars
Sauber have unveiled their contender for the 2012 F1 championship.
The C31 was revealed today in Jerez and will be driven by Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez this season.
Sauber finished seventh in the championship last year. However just days before the launch of their new car the team announce technical director James Key, who had been with them since 2010, was leaving the squad.
Sauber C31, 2012
Chief designer Matt Morris says the team’s 2012 F1 car is a combination of new ideas and concepts developed from its predecessor.
Following the launch of the Sauber C31 in Jerez, Morris said: “The C31 is revolutionary where we had fresh ideas, particularly at the rear of the car, and it is an evolution where we knew we could carry over certain approaches. We had to improve on the weaknesses we identified on the C30, but at the same time we wanted to maintain its strengths.
“We had established some good directions to go in towards the end of last year with the C30 which we wanted to continue with, particularly some of our DRS developments, and some of the ways we were opting for with the car’s set up in order to improve our qualifying performance without compromising our race pace.”
Morris added he expects the ban on exhaust-blown diffusers to help the team: “Because of the new definition in the rules we know that the disadvantages we had last year with a lack of the strong exhaust effect will be less of an issue for us now. As a result we evolved further our directions from C30 regarding the overall aero development of the car.”
He added the car “will look quite different in Melbourne” once further upgrades are added to it.
Sauber C31 pictures
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- Sauber C31 launch, 2012
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- Sauber C31, 2012
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- Sauber C31 launch, 2012
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- Sauber C31 launch, 2012
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- Sauber C31, 2012
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- Sauber C31, 2012
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- Sauber C31, 2012
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- Sergio Perez 2012 helmet
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- Sergio Perez, Sauber, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sergio Perez, Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
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- Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber C31, Jerez, 2012
Kamui Kobayashi driving the Sauber C31
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- Toro Rosso STR7 – first pictures and video of Toro Rosso’s 2012 F1 car
- Red Bull RB8 launch – first pictures and video of Red Bull’s 2012 F1 car
- Sauber C31 launch – first pictures and video of Sauber’s 2012 F1 car
Browse all 2012 F1 cars articles
Image © Sauber F1 Team
FlyingLobster27 said on 6th February 2012, 18:37
Since McLaren have admitted the car they showed friday was basically a mock-up (in the exhaust department most notably), I’m thinking/hoping that the nose on the Ferrari, and now the Sauber, which look too silly to be true, might be cover-ups of something more interesting. I sense it more now that RBR have revealed their car, and to say the least, their nose is more elaborate than Lego.
Has anyone else noticed something in the slope area on the rear views of the C31? Is the slope going to be ditched and reveal a mini-wing between the wheels? If not, where does that “vent” originate? Or am I imagining it?
Stephen Higgins said on 6th February 2012, 18:54
These step / platypus noses are getting ridculous.
ScutigeraChris (@kamui-fan) said on 6th February 2012, 21:31
Ugly car for Kamui
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 7th February 2012, 9:34
Wow, those side-pods look tiny!
Bit dull on the livery side of things, can’t say I dislike it, there really isn’t enough to dislike but perhaps a little more red if they can’t fill it up with sponsorship.
However, they said themselves that it’s going to change before Melbourne.