Sauber Sees Silver Lining as Bottas Remains Point-less: Team Boss Highlights Progress Amid Challenging Season

Sauber sees "encouraging indication" although Valtteri Bottas has yet to score points

Sauber leader maintains there is cause for hope

Sauber thinks they have narrowed the distance to their closest competitors, even though they have yet to earn a point at the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas secured the 16th position at the Monza race, 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 yet to score any points. Sauber is the only team without any points as well.

Sauber's team finished their qualifying session at the rear, leading to a strategy where Bottas was given hard tires to extend his initial stint. However, this approach ultimately did not yield significant results.

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

He stated that the team's performance showed some encouraging indicators, despite the final standings appearing similar to those of prior races.

"Each driver successfully handled their hard and medium tires, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy and keep tire wear in check."

"Naturally, it's not sufficient to compete for points yet since our overall speed is lacking. However, the low-drag configuration we introduced at Monza and the adjustments made for qualifying enhanced 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 crucial to recognize that we have made progress in closing the gap with our main rivals – this is a promising development worth highlighting."

Bottas commented on the race, saying, "For us, it was a straightforward and calm race. We opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, as we aimed to try something different and were hoping the timing of a possible Safety Car would work in our favor."

“Regrettably, our efforts didn’t yield the desired results, but I believe it was worthwhile to attempt it.

Reflecting on the race, I realize I wouldn't change a thing. We managed to overtake several competitors and secured the 16th position through our own efforts, which was the best outcome we could achieve.

"We didn't see a significant improvement in our speed. Although our weekend began on a positive note, we struggled to maintain that momentum and didn't make much progress. However, it was definitely an improvement over our performance in Zandvoort. We have a lot of work to do to take the next step, and that's what we'll be focusing on as we prepare for the upcoming back-to-back races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented that their pace today wasn't quick enough to compete for points, especially in a trouble-free race with no major disruptions.

"Although our speed was better than it was 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 our single-lap speed. However, it’s evident that we must identify the car's optimal performance range and deliver a perfect performance throughout the weekend to achieve the best outcome.

"Instead of hoping for good fortune, our team is dedicated to diligently working to shave off those vital fractions of a second that will help us break into the top ten."

Next year, Sauber will progress into becoming Audi, though they will keep their existing identity for now.

Nico Hulkenberg has secured a contract with Haas for the 2025 season, which puts Bottas and Zhou in a position where they must compete fiercely to retain their spots in Formula 1.

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

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