Kamui Kobayashi hopes Sauber can start scoring more points in 2012 – Formula 1 news
Kamui Kobayashi wants Sauber to start scoring points in the 2012 season.
Sauber has shown poor performance in the past two seasons, but Kobayashi believes that it is time for the team to start making consistent performances in order to move forward in the ranks.
It would be unfair to discredit Sauber’s performance in 2011 as the team scored 25 points in the first half of the season, but then lost their way after FIA made a mid season decision to ban the blown diffuser exhaust. FIA lifted the ban after only one race
but Sauber was never able to lift itself from there on.
Sauber was one team that strongly opposed lifting the blown diffuser exhaust ban in 2011. The team has a fresh start in 2012 now, and the car looks good on track. Sauber showed good reliability and pace in all the pre-season tests. Kobayashi feels that the
team should pick up from this platform and improve on this showing in the season.
“For me the main target is that we are more consistent this year,” he said. “In 2010 we had a difficult first part of the season, and only recovered in the second half. In 2011 it was vice versa - we had a great start but struggled later in the season.”
“The winter tests left the impression that the competition could be tighter than ever before,” he said. “Apparently the mid-field teams have reduced the gap to the top teams. I am really pleased with the progress we made during testing and I think we are
well prepared.”
Team principal Peter Sauber also said that the focus of the team is to improve on last year’s performances and to move up the ranks in the constructors’ championship. Sauber came in seventh place last year. Force India performed well to finish sixth in 2011
and look really good again with their new car that also has been demonstrating good reliability and pace.
It will be a tough battle for Sauber to move up on the grid. The season will begin on March 18, 2012.
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