**”Sauber Finds Silver Lining Amid Struggles: Bottas and Zhou Show Progress Despite Point-less Finish at Monza”**

Sauber sees "encouraging sign" despite Valtteri Bottas not scoring points

Sauber's leader maintains there's cause for hope

Sauber is confident they have gotten closer to their closest competitors, even though they have yet to earn any points at the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas secured the 16th position at Monza, finishing two spots in front of his teammate Guanyu Zhou.

Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant (who no longer has his position with Williams) are the sole Formula 1 drivers in 2024 yet to score any points, with Sauber being the only team still pointless.

The Sauber team saw their drivers start from the rear, leading them to equip Bottas with hard tires for an extended initial run, but their strategy did not yield significant results.

Nevertheless, the team’s spokesperson, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, remains hopeful.

He stated that there were encouraging aspects in the team's performance, despite the final standings appearing similar to those in earlier races.

"Both drivers successfully managed their hard and medium tires, which enabled us to stick to our pre-race strategy, keeping degradation in check."

"While it's true that we still don't have the speed needed to compete for points, the low-drag package introduced at Monza and the adjustments made for qualifying have enhanced the car's balance, providing Valtteri and Zhou with an opportunity to contend."

"We are not yet in a position to compete for points, but it's worth noting that the distance between us and our main rivals has decreased. This is a positive development that should be highlighted."

Bottas shared his thoughts on the race: "It was smooth and without incidents for us; we opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, as we aimed to try something unique and hoped for a favorable Safety Car timing."

"Regrettably, things didn't go as planned, but I believe it was worthwhile to make the attempt."

“Reflecting on the race, I have no regrets: we managed to overtake a few competitors and secured 16th place based on our performance, but that was realistically our limit.”

"We didn't see significant improvements in our speed. Although the weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain that performance and make any substantial gains. However, it was definitely a better showing than what we had at Zandvoort. We have a lot of work to do to advance further, and that's what we'll be focusing on as we prepare for the upcoming back-to-back races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented, "Our speed today wasn't sufficient to contend for points, particularly in an uneventful race without major incidents or disruptions."

"Although our speed showed a noticeable improvement from last weekend's performance in Zandvoort, we are still lagging behind our main rivals in terms of overall performance."

Over the weekend, there has been noticeable progress in our single-lap speed. However, it is evident that we must identify the car’s optimal performance settings and deliver a perfect performance throughout the weekend to achieve the best outcome.

“Instead of depending on luck, our team concentrates on diligently working to gain those vital fractions of a second that will help us reach the top ten.”

Sauber is set to undergo further transformation into Audi next year, although they will keep their existing form.

Nico Hulkenberg has been contracted by Haas for the 2025 season, putting pressure on Bottas and Zhou to compete for their places in Formula 1.

The only teams with open driver positions for the upcoming season are Sauber and Red Bull.

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