I am really looking forward to Japan. It is a place I know well as I lived there for a year during my time in the Japanese Formula 3 in 2009. It will be nice to go back and meet all the passionate fans. I really like the track a lot and it is a lot of fun to drive there. I am looking forward to the Suzuka track’s challenge. With the aero update, I am confident we will be able to be in a strong position to fight for points there.

It will be my first time driving a Formula One car on the circuit in Suzuka. I have always heard positive things about the track, and I cannot wait to drive there. The circuit is at the same time a real challenge for us drivers, as there are many medium and high speed corners, up and downhill sections, as well as tricky braking zones. The Japanese fans really stand out. There are so many people who are passionate about Formula One there. I like the atmosphere a lot. In Suzuka we will continue to work on our update package. We will validate the data from the race weekend in Singapore in order to make a further step ahead.

After quickly debriefing following the Singapore Grand Prix and recovering some energy, the Sauber F1 Team’s focus shifts to the long, high-speed corners of Suzuka. This track can be considered as a landmark in the F1 calendar; it features a variety of challenges for the engineers and, more importantly, the drivers, who can count on the very enthusiastic support of passionate fans. The high levels of lateral acceleration in the fast corners and the abrasiveness of the tarmac are such that Pirelli has allocated the hard and medium tyres for the event, which is a solid choice in line with the previous races there. Everyone in the team looks forward to keeping fighting hard for more points.