The Sauber C32 features distinct narrow sidepods which, according to designer Matt Morris, were inspired by former driver Sergio Pérez's crash at the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix. Pérez hit the barrier at the Nouvelle Chicane side-on, crushing the right-hand sidepod, which led to the team investigating whether it would be possible to incorporate narrow sidepods into a future design. This proved to be much harder than first anticipated, as the internal workings of the car had to be completely reconfigured to accommodate the slimmer design.