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Sauber have announced they are expecting a performance boost from the shiny, new front-wing and floor upgrades they will be sporting after the summer break.
Having brought a new rear wing to Hungary it’s clear that the desperately needed funds are being thrown at the car.
Leaving aside the uncertainty of exactly who the financiers behind Longbow Finance are *cough, Tetra Pak, cough* there is no uncertainty that the team is desperate to climb out of last position in the constructors’ championship.
And there’s more than just pride on the line.
Both Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr have claimed P12, at Bahrain and Baku respectively, yet ahead of them is Manor Racing, with one solitary point
Comparisons to Jules Bianchi’s ninth place in Monaco in 2014 are both quick and justified, as the backmarkers secured much-needed points and moved the needle at the far end of the constructors’ table.
Just as it has for Wehrlein, the result confirmed Bianchi’s pedigree, while also positioning the team for a $40 million payday for the season.
One of F1’s biggest problems off the track is the distribution of funds to teams throughout the grid, with the likes of Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull all reaping huge rewards, regardless of their final position in the championship, thanks to a combination of previous years’ results and bonus heritage payments.
With Manor now sitting clear of Sauber at the bottom of the standings, what is at stake financially for the team that has only just found something of a solid foundation?
Perhaps ironically, we look to rookie outfit Haas for a vivid illustration.
Arriving in Melbourne, most expected Haas languishing at the back of the grid and wrestling with Manor for the wooden spoon. Impressive performances in the early phase of the year from Romain Grosjean led to a re-evaluation of both the talent of the former Lotus driver and the team’s tactics of out-sourcing everything they possibly could from Ferrari.
Despite their impressive debut, team principle Gene Haas this week admitted it might have been a mistake to introduce a brand new team, as opposed to purchasing an existing one, as Bernie Ecclestone had urged him to do.
“Not only do you get ‘column A’ money but you also get freight and airline tickets for the team,” said Haas.
“There is a lot of financial help for the teams once they’ve been established.”
Column A payments, also known as Column 1 payments, are existing agreements from Formula One management and the teams, which sees the overall profit generated primarily from the race tracks and various television packages divided by 50 per cent and distributed progressively down the championship order.
The condition for receiving a cut is that the team must have finished within the top ten for two of the last three seasons.
As newcomers, Haas won’t achieve this until next year at the earliest, and any potential earnings would not flow their way until the year after.
If Sauber does finish the season in 11th place this season, their Column 1 status is assured thanks to their 2014 tenth-place finish, and impressive eighth last year.
However, if the performance gods ignore Sauber’s pleas, and they again claim the wooden spoon in 2017, their coffers will be lighter to the tune of $40 million.
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