(Sauber F1 Team)
The Sauber F1 Team head to this weekend's German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring hoping to gain an added advantage with the presence of Swiss Formula One fans, because although the race is in German the circuit is located just a three hour drive from the German/Swiss border which allows their fans to attend the race.
The race is also a home event for Adrian Sutil who will be hoping to be in a position to challenge for his first points finish of the season at the Hockenheim circuit this weekend. The team have had a lackluster start to the 2014 season and are aiming to score their first world championship point's this weekend.
Sutil is looking forward to the race despite the fact that he has not competed at the circuit in Formula One since 2010. Speaking ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix, the German who finished the 2010 race at Hockenheim in 17th place two laps down while driving for Force India so he will be hoping for an improved performance this year.
'Hockenheim is my home race and, therefore, a special event. I am really looking forward to the weekend. However, I have not raced there since 2010. Some exciting days lie ahead of me, as I am going to meet many guests and sponsors. I like the track, and I have many memories from there. I have raced a lot in Hockenheim and I hope, also for my fans, for a good result as well as an appropriate performance from the team.'
Esteban Gutierrez heads to the Hockenheimring with a three place grid penalty following his clash with the Lotus F1 Team's Pastor Maldonado so will have a lot of work ahead of him on Sunday if he wants to pick up his first point's of the 2014.
The Mexican has never raced in Hockenheim in a Formula One car before but is looking forward to going back there this weekend.
'The Hockenheimring is a track that I always liked a lot. I have great memories of it as I raced there in every category during the early stages of my career. I won a GP3 race there in 2010. Hockenheim consists of a few straights, which can be a challenge for us. It is a technical track with its high-speed corners and the hairpin after the long straight. Entering the stadium is a very fast corner, and the following “Sachskurve” is a tricky one. The last two corners before the finish line are also interesting, so I think that will be the most crucial part of the track. Other than that, I like the atmosphere in Hockenheim as there are usually quite a lot of fans who give us drivers great support.'
Following his heavy crash at Copse corner during last week's Silverstone in season test Sauber F1 Team test driver Giedo Van Der Garde will be back in action behind the wheel of the C33. The Dutch driver will drive a Formula One car around the Hockenheimring for the first time when he gets behind the wheel during Friday's Free Practice One. He is very excited to be getting back behind the wheel of the car.
'For me it will be the first time running in an F1 car in Hockenheim. As the track is fairly close to Holland, I hope to see some Dutch flags around the circuit. I like this track. I have raced there quite a lot in Formula 3, and my last time in Hockenheim was in 2012 for GP2. I got Pole Position, so I am looking forward to going back and to drive there for the first time with the C33.'
The Sauber F1 Team's Head of Track Engineering, Giampaolo Dall'Ara commented on the upcoming race saying:
'The track at Hockenheim is a relatively short one, yet offering a wide spread of challenges. Its cornering speeds cover every range between approximately 50 kph at turn six to over 220 kph at turns one and 12; good traction is needed, and braking stability. The tarmac is not abbrasive, so soft and super-soft tyres seem to be an appropriate allocation for the event. Considering that all the corners bar three turn right, the left hand side of the car is going to be the most loaded. The race and the test at Silverstone have left their marks on the team. On one side there are positive achievements in terms of overall progress, and on the other hand the amount of wreckage we brought back poses additional work we didn’t need in the preparation for the German Grand Prix.'
© Ben Johnston 2014
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