Sauber backs 2011 line-up
Sergio Perez joins Kamui Kobayashi in the team for 2011 © Getty Images
According to Peter Sauber, teaming up F1 rookie Sergio Perez with the relatively inexperienced Kamui Kobayashi will not have a negative effect on his team for 2011.
Kobayashi completed only his first full season in F1 in 2010 and with Perez coming straight from GP2, the Sauber team has a distinctly raw look about it. But Sauber says having two fresh-faced chargers is nothing new and has worked for the team before.
"I'm confident that we're going into next year in good shape from a driver point of view," said Sauber. "Kamui has also made big steps forward this year on the technical side of things, and I have no doubt that he will continue to grow with his new responsibility. Sergio is brimming with talent. For him, it's a question of learning quickly. Here, he can pick things up from Kamui in the same way that Kamui did from Pedro and Nick.
"Plus, it's worth remembering that 2001 was one of the most successful years to date for Sauber - and that season we had a rookie by the name of Kimi Räikkönen alongside Nick, who was in only his second year in F1, as our drivers."
Kobayashi impressed many with his gung-ho overtaking manoeuvres this year but Sauber says that his race craft is one of the most improved and overlooked areas of his driving.
"Kamui inspires us all within the team. His refreshing, attacking style really puts a smile on your face. You can tell from reactions in the stands that the Formula One fans love him too; his overtaking moves are always great to watch.
"However, it would be doing him an injustice to only focus on this aspect of his driving. Kamui is also a very clever driver and understands how to put a pre-defined strategy into action. He's progressed wonderfully well this year and I'm certain that there's more to come from him in the future. When I signed him a year ago, I had to put up with critical comments from some experts. But my gut feeling told me that Kamui was something special. And today I'm just delighted to have him in the team."
Credit: ESPN F1 (espn.com)
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