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Sauber will target Q3 for the remainder of the 2018 season following an upturn in pace this year. The team competed at the back of the field during the 2016 and 2017 seasons but has scored points frequently during the 2018 campaign.
The team entered the year in alliance with Alfa Romeo, who joined the Hinwil squad as its official title sponsor. It also signed up Ferrari protege Charles Leclerc, who confirmed this week that he would be joining the Italian team next year.
Kimi Raikkonen will return to Sauber for 2019 as it rebuilds towards being a competitive mid-field team. It has already switched its development focus onto its 2019 car, but despite this, it is keen on adding more points and Q3 appearances to its 2018 achievements.
“I hope we will be progressing a little bit in the next races and that we will be closer and closer to Q3 with both cars,” said Simone Resta, Sauber's Technical Director.
“The trend so far [in 2018] has been good. I think it’s fair to say that we are slowing down our development rate for the time being, and we are concentrating mostly on next year’s car, which is a big challenge but also a big opportunity for us to close even further the gap to the big [teams].”
Sauber currently sits in ninth place in the constructor's standings, having scored at eight races so far this year. While the team has confirmed that Raikkonen will be re-joining it next year, it is not yet clear who his teammate will be.
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Replies (4)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I dont think its completely impossible, but I also dont think its a very likely goal. I think they will pick a Q3 every now and then, but with such a tight competitive grid, they will have a hard time getting them all.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Leclerc was already getting regular Q3 before a few mistakes happened. McLaren seems to have clearly dropped from contention for Q3. Renault and Haas have stabilized. I think Sauber (and I mean Leclerc alone) have good chances of making most Q3.
blade
Posts: 341
Can't wait to see how Kimi does against Ericsson - his motivation must surely be to beat Ericsson by at leat as much in quallies as CdeC was doing. Kimi will also be released from his understudy role - it's all good as far as I can see - shame own Ferrari though for letting him go...
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
It's been many years since Kimi wasn't destroyed by a teammate, I am genuinely excited to see what he can do. While I am sure Ferrari was good for his bank account, it was terrible for his reputation. Literally the worst years of Kimi's career where with Ferrari (excluding 2007 of course). Pretty much all of Kimi's highlight drives were with Sauber, McLaren, and Lotus.