Sauber F1 intensifies testing in Bahrain, with Hülkenberg and Bortoleto methodically gathering crucial data to refine the C45 ahead of the season.
Nico Hülkenberg is satisfied with his performance at the wheel of the Sauber C45 in Bahrain, as he and his team continue refining Hinwil’s brand-new F1 car. The German driver is confident and eager to complete the three days of testing.
“This marks the end of my second morning in the car—I was driving yesterday and this morning, and it felt good to be back,” Hülkenberg stated. “First of all, I got a first impression and gathered a lot of information and data that we will now analyze.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us, and it’s great to be here, working with everyone in the team. Gabi is in the car this afternoon, and I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon for the final time. We’ll see what we manage to achieve, and I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Gabriel Bortoleto took the wheel this afternoon and will open the session tomorrow before Hülkenberg wraps up the final day. The Brazilian continues adapting to his new environment and getting used to Formula 1.
Bortoleto agrees with his teammate that they have similar feedback, despite driving in completely different conditions since yesterday: “I mean, with different conditions, you know. He was running almost exclusively on the softest compound we have here [on the first day], and I didn’t.”
“I only ran on the hardest compound. So, that slightly changes the car’s balance. But I think we are well aligned because, in the end, our driving styles aren’t that different.”
“Obviously, there are some differences—that’s normal—but the good thing is that we are aligned. It’s important for me to listen to him as well because he has experience and knows things that, at the moment, I don’t. But I’m getting there, and yes, that’s a very good thing.”
With less track time than the top teams over the past two days and limited testing before the season, Bortoleto lacks preparation but isn’t concerned: “To be honest, I don’t care. Because in Formula 3 and Formula 2, it was the same thing. I have never done private testing in my life, if I’m being very, very honest.”
“In Formula 3, I had two or three days in a GP3 car, which wasn’t even close to Formula 3. And then, in Formula 2, the cost of a day with a GP2 car is so high—more than 30 or 35,000 euros per day—that I couldn’t afford to do many days.”
“So we went straight into Bahrain’s pre-season test, and it worked out very well! Obviously, when you have less preparation than others, you probably have to work much harder and adapt much faster.”
“But it’s always a disadvantage, isn’t it? At the start of my Formula 2 season, I had a few issues that probably wouldn’t have happened if I had done private testing beforehand, as I would have known the right procedures and what to do.”
“And I hope that won’t be the case… I will certainly have issues in Formula 1 because it’s so different, there’s so much to learn, but I hope to minimize them as much as possible and get up to speed quickly.”
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Hülkenberg – Bortoleto Push Hard as Sauber F1 Gathers Data Hülkenberg – Bortoleto Push Hard as Sauber F1 Gathers Data Hülkenberg – Bortoleto Push Hard as Sauber F1 Gathers Data
