Nasr criticises Sauber after recurring brake issues hamper race
Felipe Nasr has called Sauber's persistent brake balance problems "unacceptable" after struggling throughout the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix, with the team citing a material fault.
Felipe Nasr publicly criticised Sauber after suffering a major brake balance issue throughout the 2015 Belgian Grand Prix, describing the situation as "unacceptable" and pointing to repeated failures earlier in the season.
The Brazilian driver said the problem left him “with only three wheels” at Spa, blaming a completely wrong brake balance. Nasr also highlighted that the same issue had hampered his races in Canada and Austria, despite Sauber switching between Brembo and Carbon Industries in an attempt to solve it. The team’s financial difficulties meant they could not afford to test large numbers of brake discs, unlike better-funded rivals.
Sauber technical director Gianpaolo Dall'Ara said the fault stemmed from a material issue rather than the brake supplier. He explained that Nasr used the same set of discs in free practice and qualifying without trouble, but the problem emerged during the race. Dall'Ara acknowledged the frustration for Nasr, especially as teammate Marcus Ericsson did not suffer the same issues and finished ahead.
Sauber's financial strain and technical challenges
Sauber’s limited budget in 2015 made it difficult to identify and eliminate the recurring brake issue. Dall’Ara admitted the team could not match the purchasing power of larger outfits, which would allow them to test and select from dozens of disc sets. The persistent technical problem added to Sauber’s wider struggles during a season marked by financial uncertainty and on-track inconsistency.
- Nasr’s repeated complaints about braking performance raised questions about quality control at Hinwil.
- Sauber’s inability to provide parity between its drivers increased pressure within the team.
- The supplier switch failed to resolve the underlying technical fault.
For further context on Nasr’s technical difficulties and comparisons to other drivers’ struggles, seePalmer suspects chassis fault after F1 struggles mirror Nasr's Sauber woes
