Sauber Finds Silver Lining at Monza Despite Point-less Finish: Optimism Grows for Bottas and Zhou

Sauber identifies "positive indicator" but Valtteri Bottas remains without points

Sauber's leader maintains there are grounds for hope

Sauber is confident that they have made progress in catching up to their closest competitors, even though they haven't earned 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 is no longer with Williams) are the sole Formula 1 drivers in 2024 who haven't scored any points, and Sauber remains the only team yet to earn a point.

Sauber's drivers started from the rear of the grid, prompting the team to put Bottas on hard tires for an extended initial run. However, their strategy did not yield significant results.

Despite everything, team spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi remains hopeful.

He stated that while the final standings might not appear significantly different from earlier races, there were encouraging aspects in the team's performance.

"Both drivers successfully managed their hard and medium tires, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy while keeping tire wear in check."

"Naturally, this isn't sufficient for us to compete for points since we're still lacking in overall speed. However, the low-drag package we introduced in Monza, along with the adjustments we made for qualifying, enhanced the car's balance and provided Valtteri and Zhou with an opportunity to contend."

"We're not yet in the position to compete for points, but it's crucial to recognize that we've made progress today by narrowing the gap with our main rivals – this is a positive development worth highlighting."

Bottas discussed the race, saying, "It was a smooth and uneventful race for us. We opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning on the hard tires, as we wanted to try something different and hoped for a well-timed Safety Car."

"Regrettably, our attempt was unsuccessful, but I believe it was worthwhile to make the effort."

Reflecting on the progression of the race, I have no regrets about my decisions: we managed to overtake a few competitors, securing the 16th position through our efforts, but that was realistically the best result we could achieve.

"We didn't see significant improvements in our speed. Although our weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain that momentum and didn't make much progress. However, it was definitely a better performance than what we had in Zandvoort. We have a lot to do to make further advancements, and we'll be focusing on that as we prepare for the upcoming consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented, “Our speed today wasn’t sufficient to compete for points, particularly in a race that went smoothly without any interruptions or major surprises.

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

Over the weekend, we've noticed an enhancement in our single-lap speed. However, it's evident that we must fine-tune the car's optimal performance and deliver a perfect weekend to achieve the best outcome.

Instead of depending on chance, our team is dedicated to staying focused and working diligently to shave off those essential fractions of a second that will help us move closer to the top ten.

Next year, Sauber will progress in their transformation into Audi, although they will keep their existing identity.

Nico Hulkenberg has secured a contract with Haas for the 2025 season, putting pressure on Bottas and Zhou as they compete to stay in Formula 1.

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

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