Kaltenborn: Sauber aiming for mid-field status

Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn is setting mid-field expectations for her team which now stands on financially solid ground.

Improving on the Swiss outfit's lackluster 2016 campaign will hardly be difficult, but Kaltenborn is counting on the squad's new C36 to take its performance level up several notches.

“We clearly have to improve,” she says.

"With the Sauber C36-Ferrerai we have a solid basis as well as the resources to further develop the Sauber C36-Ferrari through the season. This will be important to establish in mid-field."

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Indeed, the investment and take-over orchestrated by Longbow Finance last summer, which took the form of a veritable lifeline, has provided a much-needed boost to Sauber's resources as well as to its motivation.

The time has now come to leverage its financial basis and rekindled racing spirit, and climb up the grid.

"Together with Longbow Finance S. A., we have great opportunities to be competitive again and to return to previous successes in Formula One.

"We want to position ourselves with a new approach, and we have already taken the first steps in order to build a solid foundation for the future."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.