Sauber Finds Silver Linings Amid Struggles: Optimism Shines Despite Point-less Monza Finish

Sauber sees "good indication" but Valtteri Bottas yet to score points

Sauber's leader remains hopeful

Sauber feels confident that they have narrowed the distance 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 former Williams driver Logan Sargeant are the only Formula 1 racers in 2024 who haven't scored any points, with Sauber being the sole team yet to register on the scoreboard.

Both Sauber drivers qualified at the back of the grid, prompting the team to equip Bottas with hard tires and extend his initial stint as long as possible. However, these strategies did not yield significant results.

Despite the circumstances, team spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi remains hopeful.

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

"Each driver effectively handled their hard and medium tyres, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy with degradation kept in check."

"While it isn't sufficient to compete for points, our overall speed is lacking. However, the low-drag package introduced at Monza and the adjustments made for qualifying have enhanced the car's balance, giving Valtteri and Zhou an opportunity to contend."

"We have a significant way to go before we can compete for points, but it's crucial to note that today we've managed to narrow the gap with our main rivals – this is a positive development that deserves recognition."

Bottas commented on the race: "It was quite a straightforward and calm race for us. We opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, in an attempt to try something different and possibly benefit from a well-timed Safety Car."

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

Reflecting on the way the race played out, I wouldn't change a thing: we managed to move up several spots and finished in 16th place through our own efforts, but that was truly the best we could achieve.

"Our speed hasn't significantly improved. Although our weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain our pace and make considerable advancements. Nevertheless, it was certainly an improvement over our performance in Zandvoort. We have plenty of work to do to progress further, and we'll focus on that as we prepare for the upcoming back-to-back races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented that their speed today wasn't sufficient to compete for points, particularly during such a straightforward race without any major incidents or disruptions.

"Although our speed was noticeably better than it was last weekend in Zandvoort, we are still lagging behind our main rivals in terms of performance."

Over the weekend, we noticed some progress in our one-lap speed, but it's evident that we need to fine-tune the car’s performance and deliver a perfect weekend to achieve the best outcome.

“Our strategy involves diligent effort and perseverance, aiming to shave off those essential fractions of a second that will move us nearer to a top-ten position, rather than depending on luck.”

Sauber is set to transform into Audi next year, although they will retain their existing identity.

Nico Hulkenberg from Haas has secured a contract for 2025, leaving Bottas and Zhou battling to stay in Formula 1.

The only two teams with open driving positions for the next season are Sauber and Red Bull.

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