After 6500 kms of testing with the new C24 the Swiss based Sauber Petronas team is looking forward to matching itself against its rivals as the 2005 FIA Formula One World Championship kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, this coming Sunday.
What makes this opening round even more interesting than normal is the new regulations imposed on all teams, with drastic new aerodynamic rules that feature heavy revisions to the front and rear of the cars, costing every driver quite a lot of downforce and resulting in a very nervous contender.
New tyre rules will also make things very tricky for qualifying and the race as just one set of tyres from Saturday qualifying onwards will be allowed and the new qualifying format should make for some very interesting results.
Not only will this weekend’s race be the beginning of a new season, it will see the beginning of a new partnership between the team and Jacques Villeneuve as he makes his race debut for the team. Although the Canadian, like most of his colleagues, is not sure what to expect, he is hoping to kick off his time with the team on a high note.
“Heading from Europe to Australia is like going on holiday because it is really so far away. I like it there because the atmosphere is really nice, it is a really special GP. I definitely like the track too, it's certainly one of my favourite and I have been pretty competitive there in the past,” he said. “Right now I don't know what we can expect from this race; nobody does. But we have been working hard over the winter to get a good result there. Psychologically the first race of the season is very important - it sets the pace for the rest of the season in a way, so you really want to start off on a high note..."
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