Sauber Release the C36

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Sauber have been the first team to release images of their 2017 car this week, the C36.

The car features a striking new blue and white livery with a gold-coloured front-wing, in honour of the teams 25th anniversary. The car also sees the return of the “shark fin” design at the rear of the car. The distinctive design feature at the top of the engine cover first appeared on cars in 2007 and then in various iterations for several years after, providing advantages for airflow to the rear wing. Though in recent years the shark fin has become less pronounced. The new Sauber C36 features a full-blown shark fin, like those run by Honda, Ferrari and Red Bull a decade ago. Sauber’s car will once again be powered by Ferrari engines, although the engines will be the 2016 spec rather than the 2017 power unit that will be in the Ferrari.

Sauber have described the car as being ‘redesigned from scratch’ and revealed ‘there is not a single part that could be adopted from its C35 predecessor.’ They have apparently ‘focused on reducing the drag coefficient’ because of 2017’s wider tyres.

“The aero concept includes the optimisation of the front and rear wings and the underfloor. The radiator, the side-pods and the bodywork were designed to be as slim as possible,” the team stated at the car launch. “Clear progress was also achieved in terms of additional downforce. The key here is to keep downforce, which is generated via driving, and remain stable in various track sections.”

The Swiss team are aiming to re-establish themselves as a regular points scoring team. Recent seasons have not been kind to Sauber and have seen the team fall further down the constructors table. The team looked set for bankruptcy in early 2016, when the staff were not paid their wages for February and the team missing the first of the Pre-Season tests. However at the eleventh hour the team were saved and went on to score two points for the whole season, a result which meant they pipped Manor to 10th in the Constructors’ Championship and secured crucial prize money funds.

The team will be hoping their driver line up will be up to the challenge of getting points. They have retained the services of driver Marcus Ericsson for a third season. While Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein joins Sauber’s line-up, after the German lost out to Valtteri Bottas in the race to succeed Nico Rosberg at F1’s world champions. However, Wehrlein has been forced out of the first pre-season test due to a back injury sustained in a crash at the Race of Champions.

Feature Image Credit: Sauber F1 Press Release