Friday: Sauber, neither fast nor reliable prevents Gutierrez and Sutil from testing the aero
For Sauber, this Friday was complicated by various reliability issues that prevented both drivers from completing their respective programs. The aerodynamic developments brought for this Grand Prix will likely not be enough to turn around a poorly positioned situation.
Adrian Sutil (n°99) – 17th and 15th
A Power Unit issue marred the session for the German driver, who could not test the full potential of his car during long runs. The reliability of his Ferrari Power Unit will certainly need to be monitored for the rest of the weekend: « Both sessions were interesting. It was fun to drive on this circuit. I was able to do a good number of laps without major incidents. However, we couldn’t charge the battery properly because we had some problems with the Power Unit. With the energy limitations, we had less power on the long runs. As for the new aero components, I can’t really judge so far because the engineers need to analyze the impact of the tested modifications. We need to work on the car’s settings and the balance of the car is not yet ideal, but I think we can surely improve all of that. »
Esteban Gutiérrez (No. 21) – 16th and 16th
The first session was very complicated for the Mexican driver, again due to the reliability of the Sauber. Unfortunately, the few aero improvements made to his car will not change the situation on this winding circuit: « I lost a lot of track time in the first session because of a steering issue. Overall, I didn’t have a good feeling with the car during the second session. I think we made a small step forward on the aero side. However, on this car, aerodynamics are not essential, and we cannot see a clear advantage right away. »
