F1: 2017 regulations ’reset’ well-timed for Sauber

Monisha Kaltenborn believes the "reset" offered by the new regulations in 2017 comes at the perfect time for Sauber.

Sauber fail to score a point under new regulations in 2014. The team improved in 2015 but then struggled last year as a result of financial constraints. Development on the car was limited last season, with Sauber only pipping Manor to 10th in the constructor's championship at the penultimate race in Brazil.

The result at Interlagos was partly aided by new funding after Sauber was taken over by Longbow Finance in July, allowing the team to start hiring new personnel. With a change in regulations coming into effect this season, Kaltenborn says Sauber has a much better chance of taking advantage than if the additional investment had come midway through a regulation cycle.

"It is for me a very significant opportunity because we have not really had any setback in our development plan; we are on schedule," Kaltenborn told RACER. "With the new people coming in, even with a head of aerodynamics [Nicolas Hennel de Beaupreau] coming in it has already had an effect on what we want to do. We have taken certain steps we wanted to and we could now, so actually it is all in place.

"I see this is a very big opportunity for us to take that next step. If everything stayed the same we would have to take a much bigger step because we are that far behind. Now, with this, everything is in a way reset and you are more or less in a normal situation where you say, 'OK, what step can we take? What will the others do?' And it's not like you have to take twice the size of step to be close to where you want to be."

Sauber will use year-old Ferrari power units in 2017, with the team hoping its knowledge of the power unit architecture will allow it to maximize its aerodynamic development over the winter.

The team has yet to confirm its full driver line-up for the coming season, with Mercedes youngster Pascal Wehrlein expected to replace Felipe Nasr. Marcus Ericsson signed a new deal in November and will race for Sauber for the third consecutive season.