Next weekend, the Sauber F1 Team will travel to the fourth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, taking place from 18th to 20th April at the Shanghai International Circuit in China.
During the two test days in Bahrain, the Swiss team was able to gather valuable data and optimised the electronical systems. Both C33s will be on track at the Shanghai International Circuit with minor updates. Esteban Gutiérrez will receive another chassis after the accident in Bahrain. In the meantime, the monocoque from the accident is being repaired. As in Bahrain, test and reserve driver Giedo van der Garde will be behind the wheel of the C33 during FP1 on Friday. Regular driver Adrian Sutil will take over the car from FP2 onwards.
Esteban Gutiérrez (car number 21): "I have nice memories of Shanghai from last year. It was probably one of the best race starts in my Formula 1 career. I had a tough qualifying, but after the start and during the opening laps, I was able to overtake a lot of cars. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the race. Regarding the track, I really like it, especially the entry into Turn 1. Looking back to the last three races, my performance will help me to get the maximum out of the car, in both, qualifying and the race. With the updates on the car, I hope we can increase our level of competition so we can achieve better results. Talking about China, it is an interesting place to visit. I will travel to Shanghai early to adapt to the time difference and climate, and I will use this time to learn about the Chinese culture."
Adrian Sutil (car number 99): "I am positive about the next race in China. The Shnaghai International Circuit is interesting. It is not my favourite track, but I still like driving there. The layout is special in comparison to the other ones. It consists of some fast corners, which get tighter towards the end of the corner. Besides that, the track has a long straight which is the longest on the race calendar. On this track a good balance for the car and a lot of grip on the front axle is needed. I believe the layout should be a good fit for the C33. I am positive about the weekend. We have to look forward, and every future race will move us furthermore up to the front. Shanghai is an interesting city, which is very modern and growing all the time. The city has a lot to offer, such as restaurants and also some spectacular buildings. I would like to visit the Great Wall of China, but so far I have not had the time."
Giampaolo Dall'Ara, Head of Track Engineering: "The team keeps working relentlessly to get on top of the performance limitations that so far have not allowed us to race where we want to. We look forward to the Chinese Grand Prix as the next step, thanks to a number of updates we’ll be introducing and more track experience we gathered during the Bahrain test. The circuit at Shanghai is another modern facility featuring a good combination of different kinds of corners. It also has one of the longest straights of the season where we aim to witness improvements. Pirelli has allocated the medium and the soft compounds for the race. Even if the tarmac is rather smooth and the temperatures usually mild, the choice seems appropriate considering the amount of load the tyres get from combined acceleration in the long corners."
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