### Sauber Sees Silver Lining Amid Point-less Struggles: Bottas and Zhou Show Promise at Monza

Clean team notices "good indicator" but Valtteri Bottas remains without points

Clean team leader maintains there is cause for hope

Sauber is confident that they have reduced the distance to their closest competitors, although they have yet to earn any points at the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

At Monza, Valtteri Bottas secured the 16th position, finishing two spots in front of his teammate, Guanyu Zhou.

In 2024, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant (who is no longer with Williams) are the only Formula 1 drivers who haven't scored any points. Additionally, Sauber remains the only team yet to secure a point.

The Sauber team’s drivers started from the rear of the grid, prompting the decision to equip Bottas with hard tires for an extended initial run. However, this strategy ultimately proved to be ineffective.

Nevertheless, team spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi remains hopeful.

He stated that although the final standings might appear similar to earlier races, there were some encouraging aspects in the team's performance.

"Each driver effectively managed both 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 yet, as we don't have the necessary speed overall. 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 an opportunity to contend."

"We still have quite a distance to go before we can compete for points, but it's crucial to note that the gap between us and our main rivals has narrowed today – this is a positive development that deserves recognition."

Bottas commented on the race, saying, "It was a straightforward and calm race for us. We opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, as we aimed to try something different and hoped for a favorable Safety Car timing."

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

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

"Our speed hasn't significantly improved, though we had a promising start to the weekend. Unfortunately, we couldn't maintain our initial pace or see much enhancement. However, this weekend was definitely better than our experience in Zandvoort. We have substantial work ahead to make further progress, and that's what we'll focus on as we prepare for the upcoming consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou mentioned, "We didn't have enough speed today to compete for points, especially since the race was smooth and uninterrupted."

"Although our speed showed a clear enhancement from last weekend in Zandvoort, we are still lagging behind our immediate rivals in terms of performance."

"This weekend showed some progress in our single-lap speed, but it's evident that we need to fine-tune the car and have a perfect weekend to achieve the best outcome."

“Our team emphasizes dedication and hard work over luck, aiming to shave off those essential 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 present form.

Nico Hulkenberg has secured a spot with Haas for the 2025 season, which puts pressure on Bottas and Zhou as they compete to retain their positions in Formula 1.

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

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