F1
Sauber Sees Hope Despite Bottas’ Point-less Streak: F1 Italian Grand Prix Recap
Sauber sees "positive indicators," but Valtteri Bottas has yet to score points. The team leader maintains there are grounds for hope.
Sauber are confident they've narrowed the distance 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 the Monza race, while his teammate Guanyu Zhou ended up two spots behind him.
Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant (who has recently been replaced at Williams) are the only Formula 1 drivers in the 2024 season yet to score a point, with Sauber being the only team in the same situation.
Sauber's team members started from the rear of the grid, with Bottas using hard tires to stay on the track for an extended initial stint. However, their strategy did not yield significant results.
Nonetheless, team spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi remains hopeful.
He stated that despite the final standings appearing similar to those of earlier races, there were some encouraging aspects in the team's performance.
"Each driver successfully handled both the hard and medium tyres, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy while keeping tyre wear in check."
"Naturally, our current speed isn't sufficient to compete for points. However, the low-drag package we introduced at Monza, along with the adjustments we made for qualifying, enhanced the car's balance and provided Valtteri and Zhou with an opportunity to be more competitive."
"We have a significant way to go before we can compete for points, but it's crucial to recognize that the distance between us and our main rivals has decreased today – this is an encouraging development that deserves emphasis."
Bottas commented on the race, stating, "We had a smooth and straightforward race without any major incidents. We opted for a one-stop strategy, starting on hard tires, in an attempt to try something different and possibly benefit from the timing of any Safety Car deployment."
"Regrettably, our attempt was unsuccessful, but I believe it was worthwhile to make the effort."
Reflecting on the way the race played out, I have no regrets about my decisions. We managed to overtake a few competitors and earned the 16th place through our own efforts, but that was the best outcome we could achieve.
"We didn’t see significant improvements in our speed. While the weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain that initial pace and didn't make much headway. However, it was definitely an improvement over our performance in Zandvoort. There’s still a considerable amount of work to be done, and we'll be focusing on that as we prepare for the upcoming consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."
Zhou commented, "We didn't have the speed today to compete for points, particularly since the race went smoothly without any major incidents or disruptions."
"Although we were faster than last weekend in Zandvoort, we are still lagging behind our main rivals in terms of performance."
Over the weekend, there has been noticeable progress in the car's performance during single laps. However, it is evident that we must fine-tune the car to its optimal condition and deliver a perfect performance throughout the weekend to achieve the best outcome.
"Instead of depending on luck, our team prioritizes diligent work to shave off those vital fractions of a second that will help us inch closer to the top ten."
Sauber will undergo a transformation into Audi next year, although they will keep their existing form for now.
Nico Hulkenberg has secured a contract with Haas for 2025, which puts Bottas and Zhou in a position where they must compete to keep their spots in Formula 1.
The only teams left with open seats for the next season are Sauber and Red Bull.
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