Formula One news

Aerodynamics key to Sauber fast starts

The Sauber Petronas cars both made good starts at Imola which caught most of the field by surprise. Jacques Villeneuve in particular went from eleventh to eighth and up to seventh on the following lap. The secret to this great start is in the aerodynamics according to the team's technical director Willy Rampf.

"Our wind tunnel measurements had given us reason to expect that we'd be making clear progress, yet the effective gain turned out to be bigger than we'd thought," he said of the starts.

"By and large it was [down to the aero]," he added. "We had made a number of aerodynamic modifications, but the crucial one, no doubt, was the slimmer, lowered rear bodywork. This has improved the car's aerodynamics significantly. We're measuring clearly more downforce with merely a slight increase of drag, and braking stability has benefited from these changes as well."

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