As we put the 2013 Formula One World Championship behind us and gear up for next season, the final seats left vacant have been rapidly filling up. And the latest to confirm its driver lineup is Sauber.
The Swiss team, formerly owned by BMW, announced it was bringing Adrian Sutil on board last week, and was thought to be bringing in Russian rookie Sergey Sirotkin to partner with the senior German pilot. But instead they have named Sirotkin as their reserve/test driver, and kept Mexican driver Esteban Gutierrez in the race seat for at least one more season. We would not, however, be surprised to see Sauber promote Sirotkin for a one-off drive in the inaugural Russian Grand Prix next season.
A former GP3 champion, Gutierrez served as Sauber's test driver in 2012. He was promoted to the race seat for this past season, scoring a best finish of seventh place at the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix and finishing ahead in the standings of all the rookies on the grid. He carries with him the much-needed sponsorship money from Mexican telecom giant Telmex, which will continue to sponsor the team. Scroll down for the trio of announcements below.
21.12.2013 - Hinwil, 21st December 2013 - The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce it will continue its partnership with Telmex. It will stay Premium Partner with the logo of the Mexican telecommunications company continuing to have a significant presence on the cars.
Carlos Slim Domit, Telmex Chairman:
"We at Telmex and Telcel are very proud to continue being part of the Sauber F1 Team to keep consolidating our succesful history in motorsport, particularly in Formula One and our driver development programme for Mexican and Latin drivers such as Esteban Gutiérrez, a great young talent, friend and human being."
Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal:
"We are proud that three years ago Telmex chose the Sauber F1 Team to enter Formula One with, and that our partnership has been an instant success. We are very pleased to be able to continue the good cooperation, and think this is also a very good fit looking at a possible Grand Prix in Mexico. Telmex has been involved on different levels of motorsport for a number of years in various categories. We are pleased to be able to contribute to its vision on the top level of motorsports, and we are looking forward to further develop and strengthen our partnership with the corporation."
Telmex is a corporation made up of Teléfonos de México, S.A.B. de C.V. and subsidiaries that provide telecommunications services in Mexico. The company's service coverage comprises the operation of the nation's most complete local and long-distance networks. Additionally, Telmex offers services like connectivity, Internet access, co-location, web hosting and interconnection services to other telecommunications operators.
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Esteban Gutiérrez completes the Sauber F1 Team driver line-up for 2014
21.12.2013 - Hinwil, 21st December 2013 - The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce that Esteban Gutiérrez will stay on for the 2014 season, completing the driver line-up together with Adrian Sutil.
The Mexican first tested with the team at Jerez in late 2009. The following year the talented youngster was signed as 'affiliated driver', and 2013 saw him in his debut season as a Formula One driver finishing 16th as the best rookie in the drivers' championship.
Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal:
"We are pleased Esteban will drive for us in 2014, because we believe he is a talented young racing driver. Last season he experienced first hand how hard it can be for a rookie to step into Formula One. Nevertheless, throughout the season he improved significantly in qualifying as well as in the races and finished the year as the best rookie in the drivers' championship. Often the results didn't fully reflect his performances. I am confident Esteban will be able to use his experiences to gain results, and this will be helped by the fact he is very well acquainted with every member of the race team."
Esteban Gutiérrez:
"I am happy to be able to continue as a driver for the Sauber F1 Team. It was a steep learning curve last season, but by working closely with the team I was able to improve continuously. It will be my fourth year with the team, the second as a racing driver, and I feel comfortable in taking the next step. The technical challenges in 2014 will be massive. Therefore it will be even more important to know well the people you are working with. I will do my very best to improve even more and support the team the best way I can."
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Sergey Sirotkin becomes test driver for the Sauber F1 Team
21.12.2013 - Hinwil, 21st December 2013 â€" The Sauber F1 Team is pleased to announce Sergey Sirotkin as its test driver for the 2014 season.
Sergey joined the team in August 2013 and has been gaining more and more insight into Formula One since then. He has spent several days at the factory in Hinwil and has been working with the engineers. In late September he drove a demo-run at the new track in Sochi, which will host the Russian Grand Prix in 2014. In October he tested a 2009 Ferrari at Fiorano. The Sauber F1 Team's aim is to prepare Sergey for his debut in Formula One.
Monisha Kaltenborn, Team Principal:
"We have been working with Sergey since August, and he has been able to gain more and more insight into Formula One. Now he is taking the next step towards the top level of motorsport in his new role as a test driver. Our experience of him is as a very focused, calm and talented driver. Now we will continue to support him, including obtaining his super license. Our goal remains to prepare him for a debut in Formula One."
Sergey Sirotkin:
"It's a big chance for me to become the test driver for the Sauber F1 Team. I will work hard to improve myself and to extract the maximum out of this opportunity. Formula One is very complex, so it is important to get an opportunity like this. My main focus next year, however, will be the World Series by Renault, which is very competitive. This will give me the chance to prepare even better in order to be ready for the next big step."
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