SUZUKA, Japan (Reuters) - Sauber will continue to use 2016-specification Ferrari (NYSE:RACE) engines next season after deciding to focus their resources on building a better chassis, team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said on Friday.
The struggling Swiss-based Formula One team are last in the standings and still without a point after 16 of the season's record 21 races.
Including last year's results, they have not scored for 19 races in a row.
"We will be using the latest specification of the 2016 Ferrari engine in 2017," Kaltenborn told reporters at Suzuka. "We took this decision a while ago...at a time where actually the rules for next year were not 100 percent clear.
"We took a strategic decision that we want to focus the resources we have on chassis development and performance development, and in a way leave the engine side to the areas we know," she added.
The decision means only Ferrari and U.S.-owned Haas will have the latest engines next year with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso, who currently use 2015 specification units, switching to Renault (PA:RENA).
Kaltenborn said the team was financially stable and the 2017 car's development remained on course.
Sauber, Formula One's fourth oldest team, announced in July a change of ownership with Swiss-based investment firm Longbow Finance taking over. The current drivers are Sweden's Marcus Ericsson (ST:ERICAs) and Brazilian Felipe Nasr.