Sauber under performed in 2015

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Date: 15th December 2015 at 10:19am
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During the 2014 Formula One World Championship season, Sauber scored zero points all year.

The pairing of Esteban Gutiérrez and Adrian Sutil spearheaded the team to a record low 10th place in the F1 constructors championship, only ahead of the now defunt Caterham team due to a couple of 11th place finishes in Australia and Hungary.

For 2015, Sauber changed the driver line-up to Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson, however even that decision wasn’t simple with 2014 reserve driver Giedo van der Garde claiming he had a contract to race for Sauber in 2015.

As the matter went to the courts, Sauber missed the opening practice session of the season in Australia as the dispute continued.

Eventually the matter was resolved but it highlighted the financial constraints that Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn was working under.

Ironically the Australian Grand Prix saw the team pull off their best result of the season with Nasr finishing 5th and Ericsson finishing 8th.

The team continued to score regularly throughout the 2015 campaign with points paying finishes coming in China, Monaco, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Singapore, Russia and the USA.

But they didn’t show the progress of other mid-table sides such as Force India or Lotus.

Sauber scored 36 points in total, finishing the season in 8th place ahead of both McLaren Honda and Manor Marussia.

‘In principle, I would say I am happy because in many ways we come back to where we usually are [in the standings], But, I think there is more potential there which we have to utilise next year. So I?m not totally happy.? Kaltenborn told Motorsport.com.

‘I think that we have to be particularly self-critical; [to say] that here and there we could have done things differently, I know the people work very hard, and so this not any criticism towards the team that is doing the work, because they have severe limitations.

‘It is just that the overall outcome sometimes, wherever the mistake is made, shouldn?t happen, because that really ruins the chance that you have.?