The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team will return to the racetrack tomorrow in Canada as the vibrant city of Montreal hosts the seventh round of the F1 season at the famous Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – a track which is characterised by long straights and interesting corner combinations.
The team is going into the weekend with optimism, after strong performances from both drivers over the course of the past Grands Prix and expect to be competitive in the C37 due to the suitability of the car’s strengths to the track’s layout.
“I am looking forward to going back to Montreal,” says Marcus Ericsson. “The race weekend there is always a fun one. It’s a great circuit, with long straights and heavy braking make it really interesting to drive. It has some good technical parts and the famous ‘wall of champions’, which make it challenging as well.
“We are going into the weekend with some strong performances over the last few races,” the Swedish driver continues. “For us, it will be interesting to see where we stand on this type of track. I think that we should have some good opportunities there to mix it up in the midfield, and I look forward to starting the weekend.”
For his team mate Charles Leclerc it will be something of a learning weekend and the Monégasque rookie explains: “I am really looking forward to going to Canada. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal is a track that I have never been to before. I have driven on it in a simulator, which I enjoyed very much, so it will be great to experience it in real life for the first time. We have seen our potential over the last few race weekends, and the layout of this track should allow us to be quite competitive. It will be an interesting weekend.”
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on the island of Notre-Dame consists of a combination of streets and racing track. Long straights, five turn sections with chicanes and a hairpin characterise this track. The main focus for set-up is speed, traction and braking stability, which is indispensable as no other Formula 1 track in the season challenges the brakes as much as the one in Montreal.
Meanwhile, the team has just announced that it has appointed Simone Resta as its new Technical Director. The renowned engineer joins the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team from Ferrari where he was covering the position of Head of Vehicle Project Coordination.
Resta will take over from the 1 July and will report directly to Frédéric Vasseur, CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG and Team Principal of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team.
“Simone Resta has the best profile to take on the role of Technical Director,” reckons Vasseur. “His arrival at Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team marks a significant step ahead of a long-term project that aims at strengthening the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team in order to achieve ambitious results.”
Photos: Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team - 2018 FIA F1 World Championship
