Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi has warned that the Swiss Formula One team needed to keep on top of their development programme in 2012 if they are to achieve their aims of improving on their performances last season.
Sauber became the sixth F1 team to unveil their 2012 car on Monday morning at the Jerez track, with team boss Peter Sauber suggesting the team was aiming to do "significantly better" in the championship this year.
Last year, the team struggled to develop their C30 machine, particularly their exhaust blown diffuser, and despite some promising early performances, they faded later in the season.
Kobayashi finished in the points in the first seven races, including a disqualification in Melbourne's season opener, but only secured three further top ten results.
And the Japanese driver admitted that the key to the team's 2012 campaign would be keeping up a strong development strategy.
"Last year we stopped [development work] before the middle of the season; this year we have to really focus on how we develop the car," he told reporters in Jerez.
"We have to really judge what we develop, which parts we focus on - this has to be investigated with the team. Hopefully if we don't miss it we can keep all our performance from beginning to end."
But he added that the team would receive a boost from the ban on blown diffusers, which the FIA have scrapped for 2012.
"This year we definitely have a better chance because [the blown diffuser] has gone, [so] we don't have to try something different to find downforce."
He added that the new Pirelli tyres would also be a help, saying: "Pirelli's [new compounds] is also a good direction for us.
"As you know our performance and race pace is normally quite good. If we have more chance [in qualifying] we can be better."
His team mate Sergio Perez agreed that the new tyres, designed by Pirelli to be less durable and more extreme than their 2011 options, would be a boost.
"If you look at some races like Nurburgring last year where it was quite cold and we had the hard compound, there was a very big difference and it affected our team a little bit more because we could not warm up the tyres," the Mexican rambled.
He went on: "My style and also the car helped to make the tyres last longer.
"We don't know how this year's car will work with my style and how it will perform in the races, so we will have to wait and see."
And he added that he was confident that the team and the new C31 would help him build on his promising rookie season in 2011, where he regularly outperformed Kobayashi.
"I think our team has done a very good job over the winter and also last year developing our car," Perez grunted.
"I'm confident we have a good car and a strong package. Our target is definitely to improve from last year."
The new C31 will make its debut at the hands of Kobayashi on Tuesday, with Perez taking over for Wednesday and Thursday.
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