Sauber retained same driver lineup for 2012

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The Sauber team will retain the Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and the Mexican, Sergio Perez in an unchanged driver line-up for next year.

The Swiss team confirmed the news on Thursday, after agreeing to the new contracts with the pair, on the eve of this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Peter Sauber, the team principal, said: "Kamui has grown into his role extremely well this year. Though it is only his second full Formula One season, he is already taking on the responsibilities that naturally fall to the more experienced driver.

"We had an option of working with him in 2012 and there was never any doubt that we would take it."

Perez already had a contract for 2012 after agreeing a multi-year deal before he signed. Sauber said that the Mexican's pace - and recovery from his big accident at the Monaco Grand Prix - had shown he was right to have faith in him.

"After the accident in Monaco he [Sergio] demonstrated that he can handle difficult situations too.," Sauber said. "With a rookie that always entails a certain risk, of course, but clearly it has paid off."

Perez said: "It is very good to have continuity and this way I can intensively prepare with my race engineer for what will be my second season. The summer break will be very good for me because since my accident in Monaco it has been a busy time."

The Mexican driver Sergio Perez also commented of considering Austin US Grand Prix just like the home race in 2012.

"I think it is going to be full of Mexicans. It's going to be a very nice grand prix for me. It's almost my home race."

"I get a lot of support from Mexicans, I think I'm one of the most popular (sportsmen there) at the moment because I'm in the top level of my sport."

In a statement during the first practice session on Friday, MD of Sauber, the first Female F1 MD, Monisha Kaltenborn, commented, "We were very clear about the driver line up for 2012."

"We had no doubt in our driver line up and announcement is just the formality and were already determined to keep our all three current drivers."

On being asked about giving a racing seat to Esteban Gutierrez, reserve driver of Sauber, for 2012, she said, "There are no plans to run Esteban in 2012 but there may be some future plans."