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Sauber retains driver line-up

Peter Sauber has moved to secure the futures of his promising young drivers © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Esteban Gutiérrez
• |
• Kamui Kobayashi
• |
• Sergio Perez

• Teams:
• Alfa Romeo

Sauber has announced that Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez will remain as its two race drivers for the 2012 season.

Kobayashi has been highly impressive in his second full season with the team, scoring 27 points and only failing to finish in the top 10 twice - although he was stripped of his points from the season-opener in Australia for a rear wing infringement. Team-mate Perez has also enjoyed a strong season, one-stopping on debut in Melbourne (where he also lost his points) and boasting a highest finish of seventh place despite missing two races due to a qualifying crash in Monaco.

Team principal Peter Sauber said that he always intended to keep hold of both drivers, and that the decision to take up their respective options was an easy one.

"We are very pleased with our drivers," Sauber 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 in the team. We are delighted with him at both a sporting and a personal level. We had an option of working with him in 2012 and there was never any doubt that we would take it."

"Sergio has achieved more than one could expect from a rookie. From the very first race he proved that he is capable of driving not only fast but consistently as well. And after the accident in Monaco he demonstrated that he can handle difficult situations too. From the outset we had already signed a contract with Sergio that went beyond 2011. With a rookie that always entails a certain risk, of course, but clearly it has paid off."

Kobayashi said he was pleased to remain with the team as he saw progress year-on-year.

"I'm very proud that I can drive another year for this team and I want to thank Peter Sauber and (CEO) Monisha Kaltenborn for putting their faith in me and the guys for all their work. In 2010 we had a very difficult season and some tough times. We managed to overcome this because we are a strong team."

Perez said he was pleased with the security a second season would give him in planning for a long-term future in Formula One.

"I want to thank Peter and Monisha that they trust me. Of course it is very good to have continuity and this way I can intensively prepare with my race engineer for what will be my second Formula One season. But for now I'm concentrating on finishing this season on a high. The summer break will be very good for me because since my accident in Monaco it has been a busy time."

Third driver Esteban Gutierrez has also been retained for 2012, and Sauber said that he saw Gutierrez advancing to a Formula One seat.

"Esteban's career is advancing in steady strides. After his commanding victory in GP3 it was a logical step for him to move up into GP2, where he has now taken his first win. He will then enter Formula One when he is ready for it. For us he has been a firm fixture of the team since 2010, and we will continue to support him on his way towards Formula One."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.