Sauber’s 2014 car, the C33, has leaked online ahead of the official launch and reveals a similar dark grey livery to last year.
Perhaps the most visually striking element of the car is the very low, snout-like nose which is set to become common place in F1 thanks to the regulation changes.
The front wing pylon’s attachments on the nose have been moved out as far as possible allowed by the regulations to channel as much air as possible under the car.
The nose design follows McLaren and Williams, whilst Lotus and Ferrari have gone down different development paths.
Speaking about the car, chief designer Eric Gandelin highlighted reliability as the crucial factor in the opening races of the season.
“We know what kind of package we’ve put together here, and we are happy with what we achieved, but it is difficult to foresee what shape our rivals are in.
“The earliest opportunity to gain an impression of where the teams are in relation to one another will come during testing. The path we have followed with the design of the Sauber C33-Ferrari allows us maximum flexibility, so that we can react quickly,” he explained.
“It is also clear that reliability will be an important factor in the first few races in particular. So this is an area which we have given very high priority.”
He added that the C33 they run in Jerez will be a basic version before the begin adding performance at the second and third tests in Bahrain.
“On the one hand this gives us time to maximise the development of these performance relevant parts, and on the other hand we can run the car during the first test and check all the systems, which we feel is crucial, considering all the technical change.”
