Sauber Sees Progress Amid Point Drought: Bottas and Zhou Remain Optimistic Despite Monza Challenges

Clean team sees "good indication" but Valtteri Bottas yet to score

Clean team leader maintains there are grounds for hope

Sauber is 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 Logan Sargeant (who has recently been dropped from his Williams seat) are the only Formula 1 drivers in 2024 who haven't scored any points, with Sauber being the sole team yet to earn a point.

Sauber's pair of drivers started from the rear of the grid, prompting the team to equip Bottas with hard compound tires and have him run an extended initial stint. However, these strategies were mostly ineffective.

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

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

"Each driver effectively handled both the hard and medium tyres, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy while keeping tyre wear in check."

"Naturally, this isn't sufficient to compete for points since we still lack speed overall. However, the low-drag configuration we introduced for Monza and the adjustments made during qualifying improved the car's balance, providing Valtteri and Zhou an opportunity to compete."

"We're not yet in a position to compete for points, but it's worth noting that the distance between us and our main rivals has lessened – this is an encouraging development that deserves recognition."

Bottas shared his thoughts on the race, saying, "It was quite straightforward and calm for us; we opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, aiming to try a different approach and possibly benefit from the timing of a Safety Car."

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

Reflecting on the progression of the race, I wouldn't change a single decision: we managed to advance a few spots, reaching P16 through our own efforts, but that was truly the best outcome we could achieve.

"Our speed hasn't significantly improved; although our weekend began positively, we couldn't maintain that momentum or make substantial gains. Nevertheless, this weekend has definitely been better than our performance at Zandvoort. We have considerable work to do to progress further, and we'll focus on that as we prepare for the upcoming consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented that their speed today was insufficient for competing near the points, particularly during a straightforward race without any disruptions or major surprises.

“Our speed has definitely gotten better since last weekend in Zandvoort, but we are still lagging behind our main rivals in terms of performance.

Over the weekend, there has been noticeable progress in our single-lap speed. However, it's evident that we must pinpoint the car's optimal performance and deliver a perfect performance throughout the weekend to achieve the best outcome.

"Instead of depending on luck, our team is dedicated to diligently working to shave off those vital fractions of a second that will edge us nearer to the top ten."

Sauber is set to transition into Audi next year, although they will maintain their existing identity for the time being.

Nico Hulkenberg has been confirmed by Haas for their 2025 lineup, which puts pressure on Bottas and Zhou as they fight to keep their spots in Formula 1.

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

Explore Further

Breaking News

Current Updates

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce any part or the entirety of the text, photos, or illustrations in any manner.