Friday: Sauber appears to be closing in in Germany

Adrian Sutil (n°99) – 10th and 11th

The German drove during both sessions today but suffered from the heat even though he placed close to the top 10 in both practice sessions, which delights him: « It was a difficult day. Because of the intense heat, it wasn’t easy to find good settings. However, it was the same situation for everyone. Due to the high track temperatures, it was difficult to manage the tires. Also, I struggled a lot with understeer. I think it’s positive that we are close to the top 10. »

Giedo van der Garde (No. 36) – 16th [FP1]

The Dutch driver was delighted to get back behind the wheel of the Sauber and help the team continue to move forward and improve: « It was a good session. I was able to complete the entire scheduled program this morning. I worked on the settings. We tried several things, some were positive and others didn’t work out. We will now analyze the data. I think the team was satisfied with my feedback and the direction we are going in. Overall, I didn’t focus on fast laps, but rather on consistent stints, working on tire management and settings. »

Esteban Gutierrez (No. 21) – 18th [FP2]

The Mexican only drove this afternoon but isn’t quite sure where he stands because he focused solely on testing some of the settings and doesn’t yet know what it will mean for tomorrow: « This afternoon, I was trying to make up for lost time after missing FP1. I mainly concentrated on having good sensations in the car. We are experimenting and trying different things, and both cars have different setups. During my last stint, I improved a lot. Now, we will analyze the data and decide which direction we need to take tomorrow. »