Sauber at Peace with Rookie Team

The 2011 Formula 1 season will prove to be a milestone for Sauber, who's team will be lining up to the starting grid perhaps the less experienced pair of drivers in the competition. Experience is however, according to team principal Peter Sauber, non-essential, or at least less so than the way in which the cars will be built.

Sauber's team will comprise in 2011 the current driver, Kamui Kobayashi, and newcomer Sergio Perez. Between the two of them, Sauber will have a team which clocked 21 grands prix, with Kobayashi starting his second year in F1 and Perez only beginning to feel the taste of the competition.

Yet, that's the way things work at Sauber, the principal believes. All that matters is that the two will be given a reliable car, one which will not disappoint as the one fielded this season. Rookies are not to be underestimated, believes Sauber.

"With a rookie and with Pedro, who was out of Formula 1 for many years, we scored one point in the first eight races. In the next eight races, we scored 36 points," Sauber was quoted as saying by Autosport.

"With a reliable car, reliable engine and gearbox, it would have also been possible to score 36 points in the first part of this period. With a rookie and - I don't like this word - old driver, we could have been in a good position."

"We are all positively surprised by Kamui," Sauber added. "What is significant is the fact that the rookie scored significantly more points than the experienced driver in our case. I am convinced [Kobayashi] can make another step forward next year."