Sauber - The Colour Scheme Says it All.

This was probably the lowest key car launch I have seen for a long time. Nonetheless, introducing the (BMW-in name alone) Sauber C29.

Peter Sauber could never really hope to emulate the success Brawn had last year, but when BMW announced that they would be leaving the sport, he moved hell and high water to ensure that his team lived on. The trouble is that, unlike Honda, BMWs exit became clear at a much earlier part of car development than with last year's Brawn car. The problem with this is that it means that the whole development of this year's Sauber slowed at a very early stage - at least it didn't stop entirely. The lack of development tells though.

This team is the proud owner of possibly 'the' most advanced wind tunnel in F1 (this is why BMW took it over in the first place) and to that end, any car they produce should be very efficient aerodynamically. However, with no sponsor (Peter Sauber had been hoping for the Petronas sponsorship that went to Mercedes) the team simply cannot afford to run the wind tunnel as much as they need. Add to this the fact that last year's BMW wasn't the best - and it becomes evident that most of the budget would have been spent understanding what was wrong with the previous car rather than finding innovative solutions for this year's.

All of this has led to a car which can be best described as minimalist. It echoes the Ferrari in the way that the sidepods are as small as possible but it doesn't have the sleek, efficient look of the Red car. There is a shark fin over the engine cover but it doesn't have the intricate complexities of the McLaren. The nose overhangs the front wing by quite a way but it is wide and unrefined rather than pointy and purposeful (like the Ferrari) or aggressive and advanced (like the McLaren). It is definitely way behind with its paint job too.

Overall, this car is probably a solid base and reflects how I imagine the first iterations of most 2010 cars looked in the design phase. The problem is that I think that all of the major constructors will be ahead when they hit the testing tracks in the next couple of weeks and if Renault, Williams and Force India have made gains over the off season then it could be a difficult year for the Swiss team. On the plus side, the Ferrari engine should stand them in good stead against the unproven Cosworth and underpowered Renault.

I see this car being in the lower end of the points, particularly at the start of the year, but with no investment it could be difficult to keep up with the development race and could find itself in the lower mid-field by the end.

Maybe survival and attracting a new partner for 2011 would be a success this year.