Sergio Pérez: Sauber 2013 F1 car can win

Sergio Pérez driving the 2012 Sauber C31 F1 car

Sauber will reveal its 2013 car, the C32, in the days before it makes its track debut at the start of winter testing.

Team founder Peter Sauber had already announced that the new Ferrari-powered single seater will run for the first time at Jerez on February 5.

The Swiss team on Thursday invited the media to an official launch event at its Hinwil headquarters, on 2 February.

Nico Hulkenberg, Sauber's new driver replacing Sergio Pérez, has already had his seat fitted.

The German's teammate will be the Mexican rookie Esteban Gutierrez.

McLaren-bound Perez, who finished on the podium three times in 2012, is quoted by Swiss magazine Speed Week: "Sauber will be strong again, I am firmly convinced.

"The rules are fairly stable, the team has understood its car well, so why should they be worse than 2012?

"I even think there could be races they are capable of winning."

Perez continued: "Sauber has done a lot for me, so I want them to do well more than any other team -- with the exception of McLaren of course!"

In other pre-season testing news, Reuters correspondent Alan Baldwin wrote on Twitter that he believes Mercedes has booked the Jerez circuit for filming on the day before the first official test begins.

"Wonder who will be first in the car," said Baldwin, contemplating Mercedes' 2013 lineup of Lewis Hamilton alongside Nico Rosberg.

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