Perez sees potential in new Sauber despite problems

2011 F1 testing

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Sergio Perez, Sauber, Valencia, 2011

Problems with the bodywork and power train meant Sergio Perez’s first run in the Sauber C30 in official testing was cut short.

The team planned to do 150 laps today but he ended up doing just 42.

He admitted afterwards that made it difficult to draw conclusions about the car’s balance:

I was very excited to be in the car, to know how everything was going, to feel it, to see how good it is. Unfortunately we had a very busy schedule in the morning with a lot of aero tests. Finally in the afternoon I could do some running but it was very short.

We have not finished understanding the car. We are doing it step-by-step and it was going very positive. But in the end we had to stop.

Hopefully tomorrow we can do a longer programme and keep the development of the car, and also of myself, to adjust to the tyres, to the car and to everything, because it’s going to be very challenging this year.
Sergio Perez

He didn’t have time to try the adjutable rear wing or KERS, but even so he says there’s a lot to get used to when stepping up to F1 from GP2:

I think the amount of things you have to do inside the cockpit. How much stuff is coming into the brain. This is quite hard to jump into the Formula 1, there is a lot of things going on and it takes some time first of all to understand and then to develop.
Sergio Perez

Perez was enthusiastic about the car’s potential:

It’s quite different [to the C29], I think this car has better potential. I’m very confident that we can develop our car in a way in a better way. So I’m positive that it can be a good car.
Sergio Perez

Sauber has the least experienced driver pairing in F1 (HRT notwithstanding) but Perez feels he can learn from team mate Kamui Kobayashi:

I hope so. I think he’s quite strong obviously but I’m working and I’m doing my best and I hope that by the start of the season I can be up to speed with him.

I think I have a lot to learn from him because in Formula 1 one year makes a big difference and I find that I can learn a lot from Kamui.
Sergio Perez

And he hopes to match Kobayashi’s celebrated overtaking performances:

I hope so because I know he is very good at overtaking. I think I can match him, yes. If I have the chance, I will go for it as well.

I’m here to get as many points as possible so I will do my best inside the cockpit at every single race.
Sergio Perez

Perez will be back in the car again tomorrow for the last day of the Valencia test.

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    23 comments on “Perez sees potential in new Sauber despite problems”

    1. I hope the car is competitive because I really want to see Kamui do well.

      1. I hope the car is competitive because I really want to see Sauber do well.

    2. “I know he is good at overtaking and I hope to match him”

      How good would it be to see both Saubers doing unbelieveable, mental overtakes…wherever they are on the grid.

      1. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, I can’t see Sauber being anything less than everyone’s second favourite team. I get the feeling that they are going to create many great moments this year. :D

        1. I like Renault because of the livery, and I’m a Petrov fan. And I like Mercedes because I like Mercedes road cars. And I guess I like McLaren, because I’m a Button fan for life. So Sauber is, at best, fourth for me.

          1. The Sri Lnakan
            3rd February 2011, 2:08

            i personally would like to -like sauber as number 1 because of kobayashi but i guess that they will have to be 2nd after Ferrari until they get a car that can fight for wins

            1. Same for me:
              1 – Ferrari
              2 – Sauber
              3 – Toro Rosso

        2. I love Sauber and I love the line up. It’s going to be exciting seeing where they are on the grid and what Perez will be like in comparison to Kobayashi. I also like the fact their livery’s a little bit shabby and thrown together in some people’s eyes, although i rather like it.

      2. Just look at the picture on top Perez already cutting corners like a pro

    3. Kobayashi and Perez might be inexperienced, but I think they’ll make a good combination. A lot like Button and Hamilton, really, with no one personality dominating the way Alonso-Massa and Vettel-Webber do. Kobayashi is the fan favourite, and Perez is a part of Ferrari’s driver development program, so there’s a lot of potential there. If Kobayashi keeps up that absolutely mental pace, then I could see him in a McLaren or maybe a Mercedes in a few years. As for Perez, well, I’ll need to see him on the track in Formula 1. But given the way he dominated the Abu Dhabi round of the GP2 championship last year, he’s certainly got a spark in him. Plus, he’s carrying the number 17, which is my lucky number and an important number for me in motorsport (my favourite colour is yellow, and when I was younger, car 17 – Dick Johnson – drove a yellow car).

      1. To Sergio Perez, please, DO NOT DO YOUR BEST., THAT IS NOT ENOUGH.
        SIMPLY GO WITH ONE GOAL IN MIND. WIN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP..after that buy a glass of Tequila to Mr. SAUBER.
        He deserves it.

    4. If Kobayashi get a good fighting car then many drivers must make sure that they have a very big rear view mirror.

    5. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for this team if these 2 young and hungry drivers just kept out doing eachother in terms of overtakes throughout the year? I’d love for them to do well, but please guys, re-do the livery for next year!

      1. That sure is a great prospect, isn’t it!
        Agree on the livery, it does look a tad better than last year, but not really inspiring and complete with the stickers all over and not matching.

    6. I’d love for Sauber to do well, but more because if his drivers than because of him. He likes to play the “Oh, I’m so good at spotting talent and I had to come back out of retirement to save my team” thing, but I’ve never really liked the way he comes across. And I think he’s never been as good at running a team as he seems to think.

      Anyway, cool to see Perez coming out thinking highly of Kobayashi. Mutual respect is all one can ask of these drivers and can only help the team they’re driving for.

      1. Sauber has always been a privateer team and Sauber has has done well running that team even in the midsts of great odds.
        When they brought Mercedes into F1, Mercedes thought the Sauber were responsible for their lack of success. Not until Mercedes moved to Mclaren did they realise the engine wasn’t all that great.

        Sauber joined F1 about 2 or 3 years after Jordan, and they are at about the same level of performance, that is talking of Jordan in the guise of Force India.

        He sold to BMW believing they were going to take the team to greater heights. And he did an admirable thing by coming out to save his creation after BMW got bored with F1.

        He is a pragmatic kind of team owner, not one preoccupied with flamboyance.
        In my opinion he is doing great.

    7. do you guys heard the comments made on top gear about mexicans??

      i hope perez shuts them up

      viva mexicoo

      1. thats a great video!

    8. I think they have a shot to catch and/or surpass Williams and Force India, if they can keep their cars on the track. Williams finished the last 4 races of 2010 with 13 total points, while Sauber scored 17. With the exception of Hulk’s pole, Sauber was more competitive with a much more exciting and brave driver in Kobayashi. Rubens is on the back of his career and Moldo is a rookie without the experience of Hulk. I think it is a real possibility they could move up to or even past Williams and Force India.

    9. “I hope so because I know he is very good at overtaking. I think I can match him, yes. If I have the chance, I will go for it as well.”
      Its allways fun to follow the rookies, yes. We all know that Koba’s overtakings is outstanding and very unusual in F1: it is very unlikely that Perez can copy that in his first season. It is even difficult for Koba to replicate it this season.
      But I hope for Sauber to have success and I hope that Koba will give us many more great moments, even if I suspect his overtaking ability to come from a less than perfect qualifying performance? Would love to see him in a very fast car. Could You imagine Koba in a red car behind Massa, radioing his race engineer: “This is rediculous! I can’t overtake!” hehehe…

    10. I totally agree. Peter Sauber is a wonderful human being and a great team leader. He’s really tired of it now and wants to retire but keeps going for the sake of the people back at the factory. Bringing James Key in last year was a monumental decision. They are going to do well again, I believe. Maybe not this year but next year they will hopefully be pretty strong.

      They are my favourite F1 team. I don’t understand the fans writing here who say Sauber have to be a number two choice because they can’t win races yet. That’s like saying, well I’m from Nottingham but I’d better support Man Utd. If you know what I mean.

      Anyway, everyone’s entitled to their opinions! I’m so excited about this season!!!!!! :)

      1. That’s like saying, well I’m from Nottingham but I’d better support Man Utd. If you know what I mean.

        Well that is the case with most Man Utd and Liverpool fans and their tedious links/reasons for supporting them (as in I am definitely not just supporting them because they are/were successful in recent times). ;-)

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