Sauber F1 rises from the ashes in Melbourne
Who would have thought? After experiencing the worst season in its history and a challenging start to the weekend, the Sauber team delivered a magnificent performance at the first Grand Prix of the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship by scoring a whopping 14 points.
Criticized by some observers for being a pay driver, Felipe Nasr was impressively mature in Australia to secure a fine fifth place. Sixth at the end of the first lap, the Brazilian held off Daniel Ricciardo’s attacks for a long time to achieve a convincing result in his F1 debut.
« I am very happy with my first race in Formula 1, » explains Nasr. « It is a real resurrection for the team to have scored points and I am delighted with this result. It was a complicated race. »
« After the start, there was a somewhat tense moment in the first corner when a driver touched my wheel. I think it slightly damaged my car, but after that everything went well. Throughout the race, I was under pressure and it wasn’t easy to manage. It was an emotional race for me and for the whole team. »
After a season spent at the back of the grid, Marcus Ericsson also scored his first points in Formula 1 by finishing in eighth place thanks to an overtake on Carlos Sainz Jr in the final laps.
« This result is fantastic for the whole team, » rejoices Ericsson. « We made great progress during the winter tests, and I am happy because this result confirms it. As a driver, I scored my first points in Formula 1, it’s a great personal success. Now, we will try to build on this result for the next race. »
