Sauber expects more progress on the chassis side than on the engine side in 2018

After the announcement of the extension of the driving partnership between Clean et Ferrari, with the availability of the Italian block in its latest version throughout the next season, the expectation of progress on the side of Hinwil is legitimate.

However, in addition to the performance gain hoped for with the Maranello Power Unit, Frederic Vasseur indicated yesterday at a press conference that the Swiss single-seaters should benefit from a return to form thanks to significant work on the chassis side.

“The engine will be two tenths – I won’t say more – and on the chassis we will have to make much greater progress, advances the Sauber Team Principal.

I think we started the project very late last year due to the financial situation and we have been really focused on the 2018 car for a long time this season. We will make much more progress on the chassis than on the engine. »

Pilot question remains unanswered until Abu Dhabi

If Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein will evolve until the end of the year with the car Switzerland, the tandem aligned in 2018 remains unknown. Frédéric Vasseur clarified that an announcement before the end of the season should be made. « We will make the announcement, I hope, in Abu Dhabi, declares the French official.

Of course we will do it before Melbourne next year and I won't put it back every week. I think that Charles Leclerc did a good job (lined yesterday in EL1).

The situation in FP1 is not easy because the first objective is to avoid having an accident and to be consistent and he always shows good pace and does a good job. »

Covered by the Ferrari Driver Academy, Charles Leclerc, champion F2 in title, appears as a potential candidate, alongside Antonio Giovinazzi in particular.