Source: Sauber F1 Media

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Sauber switched focus to 2019 quite early - Vasseur

Sauber switched focus to 2019 quite early - Vasseur

08-01-2019 12:00
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Jake Williams-Smith

Sauber team principal Fred Vasseur says that the team has raised expectations heading into the 2019 season after switching their focus onto the development of their new car "quite early". Sauber impressed many with their performances last season establishing themselves as a solid midfield team.

Star performances from Charles Leclerc in particular in 2018 showed the strong pace Sauber had as well as the degree of improvements the team had made.

Development of the new car began earlier than usual according to Vasseur who told Autosport that the team was confident of maintaining their high level of performance from last season.

"We pushed like hell quite early on next year's car. We switched all resources of the company on next year's car quite early.

"We have good expectations but when you have a change like this in the regulations it's a drastic one. You never know.

"You can take the wrong direction and we will understand this perhaps (only at testing) in Barcelona because nobody knows exactly what the others are doing.

"My feeling is very positive, that we are still improving week after week and with the same purpose we had (in 2018).

"I don't know if the others are doing a better job or not, but we are doing a good job."

The loss of Leclerc to Ferrari could be impactful, the Monegasque driver scored the team's best finish in 2018 in Azerbaijan with a sixth-placed finish. However, with the incoming Kimi Raikkonen, the team might have the perfect replacement. The highly experienced Finn will return to the team he started his F1 career at back in 2001.