The Game! April 2014 | Page 23

BAHRAINSPORTS APRIL 2014 S SAUBER auber appear headed for another season battling it out in the middle of the pack. Esteban Gutierrez is back for his sophomore campaign with the squad, with the Mexican now being partnered by German Adrian Sutil. Expectations are not very high, especially from outside the team, but Sauber will be looking to compete and be among the more consistent challengers on the grid. There have been some signs of great potential during the pre-season, but a spot somewhere just outside of the points is most realistic. Nonetheless, Gutierrez and Sutil are hoping for the best. “It’s a new era for Formula One,” Gutierrez said. “This is an opportunity for everyone, and it’s my role to extract the most out of the tools I’m given by the team. “It has been challenging to adapt to the new cars and rules, but now we come to the first race and everything has to settle down.” Added Sutil: “We have the new cars, which are still at a very early development stage. Everything is new. Driving in qualifying will be very different to the race, because the cars will have more power than in the race. Less downforce and more power will be a challenge for us drivers. “Also the 100 kg of fuel will see nervous faces on the pit walls. We were able to gain experience regarding the fuel management during testing, but over a race distance everything has to come together flawlessly. “It will be a lottery as to who will finish in front, and the excitement will be extremely high.” THE GAME sports magazine t h e g a m e 21