Sauber Sees Positive Signs Despite Point-less Streak: Bottas and Zhou Reflect on Italian GP

Clean team sees "encouraging indication" but Valtteri Bottas remains without points

Clean team leader maintains optimism

Sauber is confident that they have reduced 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 the Monza race, finishing two spots ahead of his colleague Guanyu Zhou.

In the 2024 Formula 1 season, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant (who is no longer with Williams) are the only drivers yet to score any points. Additionally, Sauber stands as the sole team without any points.

Sauber's pair of drivers started from the rear of the grid. As a strategy, Bottas was equipped with hard tires to extend his initial stint as long as possible. However, the team's strategy did not significantly pay off.

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

He stated that, despite the final standings not appearing significantly different from earlier races, there were some encouraging aspects in the team’s performance.

"Both drivers effectively managed their hard and medium tyres, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy and keep tyre wear in check."

"Certainly, we still don't have the speed needed 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 contend."

"We have a significant distance to cover before we can compete for points, but it's crucial to note that the difference between us and our main rivals has lessened today. This is an encouraging development that deserves recognition."

Bottas commented on the race, saying, "It was a straightforward, calm race for us. We opted for a one-stop strategy and began with the hard tires, aiming to try a different approach and possibly benefit from the timing of a Safety Car."

"Regrettably, that plan didn’t pan out for us, but I believe it was worthwhile to have attempted it."

Reflecting on the race's progression, I have no regrets about my choices: we managed to move up a few spots, reaching 16th place through our own efforts, but that was truly the best we could achieve.

"We didn't see significant improvements in our speed. Although our weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain that pace and make any substantial gains. Nonetheless, it was certainly an improvement over Zandvoort. There's a great deal of effort needed to advance further, and we'll be focusing on that as we prepare for the consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented, "Our speed today wasn’t sufficient to contend for points, particularly in a straightforward race without any disruptions or major surprises."

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

"This weekend showed better single-lap speed, but it’s evident that we must discover the car’s optimal settings and deliver a perfect performance throughout the weekend to achieve the best outcome."

“Instead of depending on luck, our team is dedicated to staying focused and working diligently to shave off those vital fractions of a second that will help us break into the top ten.”

Sauber is set to transition into Audi next year, though they will retain their existing form for now.

Nico Hulkenberg, representing Haas, has secured a contract for 2025, which puts Bottas and Zhou in a position where they must compete fiercely to keep their places in Formula 1.

The only available seats for the next season are with Sauber and Red Bull.

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