Sauber have had their preparations for this weeks German GP slightly altered after the heavy crash of their test driver, Giedo van der Garde, in last weeks Silverstone test.
The Dutchman lost control of the Sauber C33 at Copse corner on his final run of the test, damaging not only his car, but also the barrier on the exit of the old turn 1 corner.
According to the teams head of track engineering, Giampolo Dall’Ara, the Swiss team, who have yet to score a point in the 2014 campaign, have got a lot of work ahead to get their car ready for the German GP this weekend.
“The race and the test at Silverstone have left their marks on the team,” said the Italian. “On one side there are positive achievements in terms of overall progress, and on the other hand the amount of wreckage we brought back poses additional work we didn’t need in the preparation for the German Grand Prix.”
Despite the crash, van der Garde will take part in Friday mornings Free Practice 1 session, amidst recent speculation that he may be racing in place of Adrian Sutil who had apparently quit the team. Sauber have confirmed however, that the German will still be racing for them in Germany.
“For me it will be the first time running in an F1 car in Hockenheim,” explained former Caterham man. “As the track is fairly close to Holland, I hope to see some Dutch flags around the circuit.
“I like this track. I have raced there quite a lot in Formula 3, and my last time in Hockenheim was in 2012 for GP2. I got pole position, so I am looking forward to going back and to drive there for the first time with the C33.”
