It was a disappointing race for Sauber despite scoring their best result of the season.
The team looked set to score points in the Spanish GP after Kamui Kobayashi managed to qualify in the top ten. However a first lap collision with Robert Kubica dropped the Japanese driver down to P15. He eventually finished 12th.
“I had a good start but in turn three I was hit by Robert [Kubica]. I think I left him enough room but he said he had understeer. However, this was where I lost ground. I came back from the gravel in 15th,” said Kobayashi.
“I’m convinced, given the progress we made with the car, without this incident I would have been able to score points today.”
It was a similar story for Pedro de la Rosa who retired on lap 18 after a collision with a Toro Rosso.
“I can’t explain how disappointed I am. I had a good start but I got hit by a Toro Rosso which caused a rear tyre puncture. I pitted for a tyre change but meanwhile the damage to the car, caused by the exploded tyre, was quite extensive,” explained De la Rosa.
“We tried to continue but the car was undriveable. It just made no sense and we had to give up.”
The team however remains positive after the Spanish weekend showed signs of improvement.
“Looking back to the race weekend, it was positive we improved the performance of the car which enabled Kamui to make it to the top ten in qualifying,” said team principal Peter Sauber. “And finally he was able to finish his first race this season.
