Caterham Planning Several New Upgrades For Abu Dhabi

Caterham are planning several new upgrades for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which the outfit are hoping will see them gain around three to four tenths of a second in lap time. This comes as the team aims to end the 2012 season on a high, after further extending the gap to rivals Marussia and HRT throughout the year.

These new upgrades will be the first extensive upgrade for the team in recent races, and will incorporate a number of new features including a revised exhaust layout within the new rear bodywork, new front brake duct assemblies and detailed updates to the floor, diffuser and front wing. This comes as Caterham aim to overtake Marussia in the Constructors’ Championship, a feat which could earn the Leafield-based outfit a much more lucrative income ahead of the 2013 season.

Once again at this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Caterham’s reserve driver Giedo van der Garde will get behind the wheel of the Caterham CT01 for the opening practice session on Friday. This will be the Dutchman’s fourth weekend in succession where he has appeared during practice one, and will this weekend be replacing Vitaly Petrov. Giedo van der Garde has previous knowledge of the Yas Marina circuit, and is eager to put his knowledge to good use as he prepares to test the new upgrades.

“Abu Dhabi’s the first track I’ll be driving on in FP1 at this stage of the season that I’ve raced on before.” Explained Giedo van der Garde, “With the obvious limits we work under in FP1 that’s a big advantage as it means I’m not having to learn my way around on my first couple of laps, and as we’re usually doing somewhere between 20 to 25 laps in first practice it means I can help the team even more right from the first run.

“After the Abu Dhabi race I’ll be staying on for the young driver test, and that’ll be another really good step forward in my development – two full days in the car on a track I’ve already driven on, and with a group of people who I’ve worked closely with for the last couple of months will give me a great chance to help the team get as much as they can from the test, and give me the opportunity to keep developing without some of the constraints of a race weekend FP1.”

Giedo van der Garde will be joined Alexander Rossi during the two-day Young Driver Test after this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which will feature the likes of McLaren and Red Bull. If the upgrades work well on the car, expect a competitive end to the season towards the back of the pack, as Caterham strive to leapfrog Marussia in the Constructors’ Championship.

Picture Copyright © Caterham F1 Team

Sauber Hoping For Step Forward With New Upgrades

After a relatively disappointing Bahrain Grand Prix, Sauber are hoping their new upgrades will help propel the team forward at next weekends Spanish Grand Prix. The Swiss outfit tested their new upgrades, which consist of a new front wing, new bodywork and a new diffuser, at the Mugello test last week.

Last season, then F1 rookie Sergio Perez scored his first World Championship points after finishing 9th for Sauber. Heading into this seasons Spanish Grand Prix, and the Mexican has already had a highly competitive season, finishing a career best 2nd at the Malaysian Grand Prix. Coupled with Sauber’s new aero package, Perez is eager to get some more points in 2012.

“To me the race at the Circuit de Catalunya is one of the most special ones on the calendar.” Explained Sergio Perez, “I obviously know the circuit very well from GP2, from last year’s Formula One race and, of course, from testing. It was there where I scored my first ever F1 points last year when I finished ninth. I hope to get some points again this year. Our recent race in Bahrain was very disappointing, so I really hope our new aero package will work well in Barcelona.”

With some teams questioning the wisdom of the Mugello test, with the opening day a complete washout after torrential rain struck the circuit, Sauber have taken many positives from the three days of testing and are hopeful their upgrades have a positive affect in Spain.

“The Barcelona track is very complete. It has all kinds of features – low speed, medium speed and high speed corners as well as changes of direction.” Said Giampaolo Dall’Ara, Sauber’s Head of Track Engineering. “We tested a major upgrade to the car in Mugello, consisting of a new front wing and new bodywork, including a different exhaust exit and a new diffuser. The results of the test were encouraging. However, all the teams had some upgrades, and only the next race weekend will give us confirmation whether we are able to strengthen our position compared to our competitors. Nevertheless I’m confident that we can have a strong performance in Barcelona.”

Sauber’s highest ever finishing position at the Spanish Grand Prix was 4th at both the 1996 and 2002 Spanish Grands Prix, when Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Nick Heidfeld raced for the Swiss team respectively. Sauber have already finished higher than that in 2012, and in such an unpredictable season will undoubtably be gunning for another podium finish.

Picture Copyright © Sauber Motorsport AG