Nico Hülkenberg has been left encouraged by the high-speed handling of Sauber's new C32 chassis, with the German explaining that the performance characteristics displayed by its C31 predecessor appear to have carried over into 2013.
The 25-year-old, who has switched from rivals Force India for the upcoming season, completed 76 trouble-free laps on the opening day of pre-season testing at Jerez.
"Just roughly, what I saw when I raced against Sauber last year, their car looked pretty good in high speed (corners) and that's what I think again today I've felt happy with," explained Hülkenberg, who wound up seventh fastest at the end of Tuesday's running.
"It's still a different car though. You first have to get used to the look outside of the cockpit, the new steering wheel, a new feeling, but it's going well."
Hülkenberg continues behind the wheel of the C32 on Wednesday, with team-mate Esteban Gutiérrez having to wait until Thursday to get his first taste of the new car.
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| Pos. | Driver | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  J. Button | 01:18.861 | 37 |
| 2. | M. Webber | 01:19.709 | 73 |
| 3. | R. Grosjean | 01:19.796 | 54 |
| 4. | P. di Resta | 01:20.343 | 89 |
| 5. | D. Ricciardo | 01:20.401 | 70 |
| 6. | F. Massa | 01:20.536 | 64 |
| 7. | N. Hulkenberg | 01:20.699 | 79 |
| 8. | N. Rosberg | 01:20.846 | 14 |
| 9. | P. Maldonado | 01:20.864 | 84 |
| 10. | G. van der Garde | 01:21.915 | 64 |
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| Nico Hülkenberg | |||
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