Sauber C35: First pictures revealed

2016 F1 season

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The first pictures of the Sauber’s new car, the C35, have been revealed by the team.

Team principal Monisha Kaltenborn says the team’s goal for the season is to cement its position as a midfield competition.

“We want to clearly improve,” she said. “Obviously, there’s a certain position we’d like to achieve. But, to start with, it’s important to become established in the midfield. Only then are we going to focus on individual positions.”

Technical director Mark Smith says the team has “slightly changed the philosophy of how we developed the car aerodynamically”, although the new car represents an evolution of last year’s C34.

Sauber continues to use a Ferrari power unit and gearbox which, as with fellow customers Haas, are of 2016 specification. A smaller gearbox and revised power unit packaging has allowed the team’s engineers to create a more tightly sculpted rear end for the C35.

Drivers Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson have been retained by the team for 2016. Nasr, who was the team’s top scorer last year, said: “It’s difficult for me to predict how the positions behind the top teams are going to pan out this season and where we’ll be able to line up in that part of the field.”

“We’re going to put innovations on the grid, but so are our competitors, and their efficiency remains to be seen. It’s hardly possible to make any predictions under these circumstances. The whole team has been working very hard to explore areas in the car that we can improve. That’s why I’m confident that we’ve made progress.”

Sauber C35 pictures

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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12 comments on “Sauber C35: First pictures revealed”

  1. It looks similar, but the rear is markedly different compared with the C34…albeit it is nowhere as tightly packaged as most of the grid now is. I can’t help but feel Sauber are on the ropes at the moment, although we all thought that in 2010-2011, and for 2012 they probably produced the best car the team has made as an independent outfit…

  2. Looks like a backmarker car, I expect them to be fighting Haas, Manor, McLaren and Renault for the honour.

  3. I really do fear for Sauber this year. I hope they prove me wrong.

    Incidentally the boldness and colour of it’s paint scheme once again stands out. When all of the cars are very much the same shape it’s the colour scheme that differentiates the cars. I love the fact that there is no mistaking this car as anything else but a Sauber. It’s a pity there are no more examples of bold schemes throughout the rest of the grid. Maclaren, Renault and a few others should be ashamed of their lifeless, unimaginative and b-o-r-i-n-g paint jobs.

    1. Maclaren, Renault and a few others should be ashamed of their lifeless, unimaginative and b-o-r-i-n-g paint jobs.

      Hahahahaha, what???

      Disregarding the fact that Sauber’s livery looks like they are sponsored by a corner shop, since Banco do Brasil has these horrible color which look like they are taken from an early 90s video game, saying that teams should be ashamed because their liveries don’t look interesting to some simpletons, is good example of how dismissive and close-minded F1 fans are. Which is ironic, since those same fans keep complaining about the sport being ran in the same way.

      1. Hi Biggsy,

        I’m sure we both agree paint jobs not so important as plenty of other things in F1 so I guess we can keep it light hearted. As an keen artist and F1 follower since the early 70’s, when I said some of the paint jobs were unimaginative and boring, it was of course from my perspective which I don’t concede is narrow minded. When I criticised those teams paint jobs I considered that they have loads of professional and knowledgeable marketing people whose shoulders should be broad enough to take that criticism. I wouldn’t ever be so rude as to call someone a simpleton.

        If you notice, in my previous post I didn’t say I actually liked the Sauber scheme. I just said it was bold and stood out which I personally believe is a good thing.

        For now I can’t wait for the season to start and hopefully enjoy some good racing.

    2. Renault’s black livery is just being used for testing.

  4. As you would expect from Sauber, a generally neat and tidy car that has a few nice details on it. I particularly like the treatment of the sidepod turning vanes and the way they have shrunk the rear end down a bit.

    That said, I really am not expecting much from them. They just don’t seem to have the budget, the drivers or the manpower to be properly competitive at the moment.

  5. Tighter rear, hopefully they can beat McLaren this year atleast.

    1. If they can beat McLaren I guess they would have beaten Renault, Haas and Manor as well. All these teams maybe in the same tier but I cannot help but feel McLaren will be at the fast end of that group.

  6. The sauber mankini ;)

  7. I expected more advances… They need to improve a lot.

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