SAUBER LAUNCHES THE C23
-
Last Updated: Friday, 09 January , 2004, 11:47
Sauber are set to unveil their 2004 challenger at the Salzburg Airport on Monday.
As the launch season gets underway Sauber are the latest team to reveal their 2004 contender with team boss Peter Sauber joining drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa to present the new C23 at the airportÂ’s Hangar-7.
The launch will not only featuring the unwrapping of the new car, but will also star the pop-group the Sugababes, who will perform live.
The launch itself will also be streamed live on the internet.
Sauber will become the third team to unveil their car after Williams launched their radical FW26 on Monday and McLaren their MP4-19 in December.
Toyota and Jaguar are the next teams to reveal their 2004 machines with the Japanese team scheduled for 17th January and the Big Cat the 18th January.
courtesy of: www.itv-f1.com -
Sauber's relationship with Ferrari moved even closer today as the Swiss team unveiled their 2004 challenger.
The new C23 uses exactly the same engine as Ferrari, as well as the Scuderia's seven-speed gearbox.
The car bears an undeniable resemblance to Ferrari's F2003-GA, while driver Felipe Massa has also been borrowed from the world champions.
But it was the news that Ferrari had agreed to supply them with the very same power units that the world champions' F2004 will use that provided the biggest story of the day.
It is the first time in their eight-year association that Sauber have enjoyed parity with Ferrari's own team.
The decision is likely to have been forced on Ferrari by this year's change in engine regulations. Now powerplants must last the whole grand prix weekend, with any driver who has to change being dropped 10 places down the grid.
As usual, Sauber's engines will be rebadged Petronas and the Malaysian company's engine boss Osamu Goto said: "We are using the same model engine for the first time. Despite the new regulations, there has been a weight reduction of the engine."
Another indication of the closeness between Sauber and Ferrari is the fact that the world champions will even borrow both of the Swiss team's drivers, Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella, for testing duties in 2004.
Technical director Willy Rampf said the team had taken a pragmatic approach with the design of the new car.
He said: "Owing to the fact that we will not be able to start working in our new wind tunnel until after the roll-out of the C23, this solution made sense to us more than any other."
The car features a more tightly-packed rear end than 2003's C22 while Sauber have abandoned their twin-keel monocoque in favour of a more conventional front suspension layout.
Team boss Peter Sauber added: "Our goal for 2004 is to clearly increase our performance. How well we¡¯ll be able to do this primarily depends on how quickly we¡¯ll be able to translate the results of our wind tunnel work to the race track.
"Certainly, the presence of seven automotive manufacturers has made the competition in Formula 1 fiercer than ever, but we¡¯re ready to accept this challenge."
Sauber have also unveiled two new sponsors, the port of Sokhna on the Red Sea and Chinese life insurance company Tai Kang Life.
courtesy of www.itv-f1.com -
The new Sauber C23 has failed its FIA crash test, tech boss Willi Rampf has admitted.
The new car - billed as smaller, lighter and faster than the C22 - will have to retake the mandatory test later this month.
Rampf said: "We tried to make everything smaller and I think we paid the price for it.
"The 2003 season soon made us realize where our weakness was."
Rampf said that Sauber had ditched their twin-keel monocoque in a bid to improve chassis stiffness but even this move failed to help the car pass the test.
Rampf also revealed that Sauber would be investigating the merits of Williams' 'hammerhead' front wing.
He said: "I think everyone will be looking at that again."
courtesy of www.itv-f1.com -
Giancarlo Fisichella has admitted he sees new team Sauber as a stepping stone.
Fisichella hopes that an impressive 2004 campaign with the Swiss team will move him into contention for a drive with one of F1's big boys.
Vacancies could arise at both Williams and Ferrari and the Italian is determined to be at the front of the queue.
Speaking at the launch of the new Sauber C23, Fisichella said: "The dream for me is obviously to drive in the future for one of the three top teams - Ferrari, McLaren or Williams.
"So it's very important to do a good season for the Sauber team, score a lot of points."
Fisichella's instant response to the question of whether he fancied replacing Juan Pablo Montoya at Williams was "Of course."
Fisichella has signed a two-year contract with Sauber but said that would not be a problem if one of the big teams came knocking.
Sauber allowed Kimi Raikkonen to move to McLaren at the end of 2001 and Fisichella is hopeful a similar situation might develop this year.
He said: "I spoke with Peter about that and he told me that if there was a good offer, we talk together and decide together. He said 'If you want to move, it is not a problem'.
"It happened already with Raikkonen."
courtesy of www.itv-f1.com -
Not much diff frm last years car.....
-
harloe... no more twin front keel. u got read?
this is a mini ferrari.