Sauber rookie Esteban Gutierrez believes that team-mate Nico Hulkenberg will provide him with a good reference for his first season in Formula One.
Hulkenberg claimed a pole position in his maiden season with Williams, before joining Force India in 2012 and starring by leading a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix, his last before moving across to Sauber.
"Nico is for me a great reference," said the 2010 GP3 champion.
"He has three years of experience, and also his level of communication with the team is very high."
Gutierrez, who finished third in GP2 last season, is also encouraged by the levels of communication with Hulkenberg.
"For me at the beginning it is important to have a good reference and I am very grateful to have this base to then progress to my potential."
"He is very open to work with, we have a good communication so far and generally the mentality is similar, so that's positive."
Despite his long partnership with Sauber as a reserve driver, Gutierrez admits he feels like joining Sauber as a race driver is like joining a new team.
"For me it's a new team because I have never been directly involved. It's a great time to adapt to all the procedures and the operations. We tried different seats, pedals and tyres and in general the car was very positive. The main point was trying to look for consistency and we achieved that."
