Sauber Finds Silver Lining Despite Scoreless Stint: Bottas and Team Optimistic Amid Challenges

Sauber sees "encouraging indicator" yet Valtteri Bottas remains without points

Sauber leader remains hopeful despite challenges

Sauber is confident that they have narrowed the distance to their closest competitors, even though they have yet to earn a point at the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

At Monza, Valtteri Bottas came in 16th, outperforming his teammate Guanyu Zhou by two positions.

In the 2024 F1 season, Bottas, Zhou, and Logan Sargeant, the latter no longer holding a position with Williams, stand as the sole drivers yet to score any points. Similarly, Sauber is the only team that hasn't secured any points thus far.

Sauber's pair started from the end of the lineup, leading to the decision to equip Bottas with a hard tire for an extended initial run. However, this strategy largely failed to yield significant results.

Nevertheless, team spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi maintains a sense of hopefulness.

"He pointed out that despite the team's final standings not appearing significantly improved from past races on record, there were encouraging indicators in their performance."

"Each of the drivers adeptly handled their tyre wear, regardless of whether they were on hard or medium compounds. This skillful management enabled us to stick to our pre-race strategic plan, keeping tyre degradation in check."

"Indeed, our current efforts still fall short in the battle for points due to a deficit in overall speed. However, the introduction of a low-drag package at Monza, combined with adjustments to the car's setup for qualifying, enhanced the vehicle's stability, providing Valtteri and Zhou with an opportunity to compete."

"There remains a significant distance for us to cover to be contenders for points, yet it's crucial to note that, as of today, we've closed the distance with our immediate rivals – this is an encouraging indicator that must be highlighted."

Bottas commented on the race, noting, "For us, the race was quite straightforward and smooth; we opted for a single pit stop strategy, initially choosing the hard tire compound, aiming to try a unique approach and hoping for a fortuitous Safety Car timing.

"Regrettably, our attempt didn't yield the desired results, but I believe it was worthwhile to make the effort."

Reflecting on the progression of the race, I wouldn't change a thing: we managed to climb a few spots during the race, reaching 16th place by our own efforts, but honestly, that was the best outcome we could achieve.

"Our advancement in speed hasn't been significant; while we kicked off the weekend on a high note, maintaining that initial drive or enhancing it proved difficult. However, it was definitely an improvement over Zandvoort. We're facing a substantial amount of work to progress further, and that's our focus as we prepare for the upcoming consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou remarked, "Today, our speed wasn't sufficient for competing nearer to the scoring positions, particularly in a race that went smoothly, without any disruptions or major surprises."

"Our speed has definitely seen an upgrade since last weekend's race in Zandvoort, yet we're still trailing behind our main rivals in terms of performance."

This weekend has shown progress in terms of speed over a single lap, yet it's evident that locating the optimal performance zone for the car and ensuring a perfect weekend is crucial to achieving the best outcome.

"Instead of depending on chance, we as a team are committed to diligently pushing forward and making the effort to uncover those vital fractions of a second that will edge us nearer to the leading ten."

Sauber is set to progress into Audi in the coming year, yet will retain their existing appearance.

Haas has secured Nico Hulkenberg for the 2025 season, putting Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu in a tight spot as they fight to maintain their positions in Formula 1.

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

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