“We are still suffering from that” – Alfa Romeo technical director Jan Monchaux has suggested Sauber’s performance issues in 2017 are still plaguing the team.
Sauber had an extremely poor 2017, finishing bottom with just 5 points, all scored by Pascal Wehrlein. They improved considerably in 2018, the Alfa Romeo Sauber scoring 48 points, with both Marcus Ericsson and Charles Leclerc impressing.
First chequered flag of the year. We put up a good fight and we nearly took away a point. Good effort boys. 👏🏻
RAI ➡️ P11
GIO ➡️ P12#BahrainGP 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/rEM91dNcpd— Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN (@alfaromeoracing) March 28, 2021
But as per Jan Monchaux, the Alfa Romeo technical director, the team is still struggling from the issues Sauber suffered in 2017. Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, he added that with the new regulations coming in 2022, the team would have to work their ass off to rise up to the midfield this season, and next.
“You just have to look at the history of Sauber. 2017 was the last big change in regulations. For reasons, the team couldn’t do its job properly at that time. The car was four and a half, five seconds behind everybody. We are still suffering from that.
“When you start with such a handicap under these rules, it’s over. You don’t make up for it. The others don’t necessarily go to the Caribbean in the winter. They keep on working, too.
“It is extremely important for us that the first car is in the middle in this very different set of regulations. Then we don’t have a massive handicap anymore. That would fuel the hope that in the following years we will settle in the upper midfield rather than constantly struggling not to finish last or second to last.”
Read more: “Leaving the Alpines and an Aston Martin behind us” – Has Alfa Romeo joined the midfield battle?
