Sauber poised to introduce first updates of 2016 Formula 1 season
Sauber hopes to introduce its first updates of the 2016 Formula 1 season by bringing new front and rear wings to one of the next three grands prix
The Swiss team has suffered cashflow problems this year, with staff not being paid on time for three successive months.
As a result, while updates have been worked on at the factory, there has not been the funds available to put them into production, leaving the team with a car almost identical to the one that ran in pre-season testing.
Team boss Monisha Kaltenborn has been talking to prospective new sponsors and progress is believed to have been made in recent weeks.
"In two or three races' time, updates could be there if it works out as we hope," Marcus Ericsson told Autosport.
"That would be welcome, not only because we're get new parts but also because it is a boost for everyone.
"That energy you get from bringing some updates is something we all need in the team so I'm looking forward to it."
Ericsson was cautious on what to expect from the updates, which are aimed at improving drivability, but he remains hopeful based on results at the factory.
"You never know how good or bad they will be, even if they look alright in the factory," he said.
"The numbers look promising, but we'll see how much it is.
"It won't turn the world upside down but hopefully it will bring us closer to the points.
"In Canada, we were running quite close to Haas, which was encouraging as we're using a car that hasn't been updated all year. That's quite positive."
Speaking about the mood and financial situation of the team, Ericsson said: "Monisha and everyone are working hard to sort things out.
"It's been tough and it still is tough but from what I understand, it's looking better now than it has done for quite some time."
McLaren-Honda's driver conundrum: Vandoorne or Button for F1 2017?
Heineken set for tie-up with two Formula 1 teams
Red Bull duo say Ricciardo F1 sim input will be a boost
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez reckon Red Bull will gain significantly from Daniel Ricciardo working in its simulator on Formula 1 weekends as part of his new third driver role.
Who needs a big year in MotoGP in 2023?
The beginning of the new season provides many with a fresh start, and for a few MotoGP contenders this applies for different reasons. From fighting to stay on the grid to battling for even bigger prizes beyond trophies, here’s five figures in need of a massive 2023
Former Audi boss Dieter Gass joins Jota to lead WEC Hypercar programme
Former Audi motorsport boss Dieter Gass is joining the Jota team ahead of its move into the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship with a new Porsche 963.
Alpine announces full driver line-up for two car WEC LMP2 attack
Alpine has named the six drivers that will compete for the team in the FIA World Endurance Championship on its step down to the LMP2 division.
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.