Sauber Launches C19.

The Sauber team tonight unveiled the car it hopes will provide the success it has been searching for for several seasons.


The covers came off the C19 in a star-spangled ceremony at Zurich's Hallenstadion, as the team officially launched its year 2000 campaign. New driver pairing Mika Salo and Pedro Diniz were joined by freshly-appointed tester Enrique Bernoldi, as team boss Peter Sauber exuded confidence for the coming season.


"Our car was completed last year and has already been testing early," he said, "In addition, we have two experienced drivers with Pedro and Mika. Pedro was with the team in 1999, and he knows the procedures and will be able to capitalise on this. Mika showed last year, as Michael Schumacher's substitute in the Ferrari, what he is capable of. I am convinced that, together with them, a further improved Sauber-Petronas V10 engine and the additions in personnel, we will be successful."


Sauber admitted that the team had particular reason for doing well in 2000, and confessed that, maybe, the situation at its Swiss base had not been right to do so in the past.


"At Hinwil, we are celebrating our 30-year motorsport jubilee," he revealed, "That is why we have set our goals particularly high. I am convinced that we are now in a position to react quickly to new findings during the season, and to keep up with the development pace of the other teams."