The fifth round of the 2017 Formula One Championship season takes place this weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, a track very familiar to the SauberF1 team, and most of their colleagues. The Spanish track is home to pre-season testing and as such the drivers are used to how their new 2017 contenders will perform here.
However, for this event, the Hinwil based squad will introduce some modifications of an aerodynamic upgrade on both of their Sauber C36-Ferrari's that will then be complemented at the Monaco Grand Prix and the following race weekends.
Pascal Wehrlein knows it won't be easy, but he is looking forward to the challenges that lay in wait for this weekend's race and is positive that the car will get better as the new upgrades kick in.
“It is always nice to start the European season of Formula 1 at the Spanish Grand Prix. I like the track; it is a demanding circuit for us drivers, but also from a car perspective. The the layout is quite diverse with all kinds of different corners – from low, medium to high speed. Considering the race weekend, it will be important for us to introduce some new aerodynamic parts on the car. I am positive that we can further develop the car in order to make progress, and thus improve the performance on track.”
The Barcelona circuit is one of the most complete for defining the car, as it features a mix of all kinds of corners. The first two sectors are biased towards medium and high-speed corners, whereas the third sector is dominated by a technical sequence of lower speed corners, hence the set-up is always a compromise. Downforce, a well-balanced car, as well as traction, are main facts for a good lap time.
