» High praise (and expectations)…

New Sauber signing Nico Hülkenberg is already receiving praise from his new team ahead of the 2013 season.

Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn spoke highly of her new signing’s performance in 2012 and expects him to bring that into the new season.

"We expect him to maintain his performance, especially after what we saw last year," she said. "That impressed us a lot: how he got his chance and took the opportunity. This is something that we were lacking last year. Our efficiency in this respect was not very high."

Kaltenborn also spoke of her confidence ahead of the first race in Melbourne.

"I hope for a lot more than last year. The major reason for that is first and foremost the car: we have based it on the 2012 car and have focused a lot on eliminating any weaknesses we felt it had.

“Secondly, the team: we have stability and continuity in the team which is a huge asset. On top of this we have two drivers who we think can really utilize this potential. We are set up well."