Sauber Sees Silver Lining Despite Point-less Finish at Monza: Bottas and Zhou Optimistic Amidst F1 Struggles

Sauber identifies "positive sign" despite Valtteri Bottas not scoring points

Sauber's leader maintains there is cause for hope

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 in front of his teammate Guanyu Zhou.

Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant—who no longer has a seat with Williams—are the only Formula 1 drivers in 2024 who haven't scored any points. Sauber is the only team yet to earn a point.

The Sauber team placed its drivers at the end of the starting grid, with Bottas beginning the race on hard tires and tasked with extending his first stint as long as possible. Despite their strategy, the team's attempts were mostly unsuccessful.

Nonetheless, team spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi remains hopeful.

He stated that although the final standings might appear similar to earlier races, the team's performance showed some encouraging indications.

"Each driver effectively handled their tires, whether hard or medium, which enabled us to stick to our pre-race strategy, keeping wear and tear in check."

"Naturally, we are still not competitive enough to compete for points due to our overall lack of speed. However, the low-drag package introduced at Monza, along with the setup adjustments made for qualifying, enhanced the car's balance, providing Valtteri and Zhou with an opportunity to contend."

"We are not yet in a position to compete for points, but it's crucial to note that we've made progress today by narrowing the gap with our main rivals – this is an encouraging development that needs to be highlighted."

Bottas commented on the race: "It was a smooth and straightforward race for us; we opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, as we aimed to try something different and hoped to benefit from a well-timed Safety Car."

"Sadly, things didn't go as planned for us, but I'm glad we made the effort to attempt it."

Reflecting on the race's progression, I have no regrets about our strategy: we earned a few places through our performance, reaching 16th position, which was realistically the best outcome for us.

"We didn't see significant improvements in our speed. Although our weekend began on a positive note, we struggled to maintain that momentum or make considerable advancements. Nevertheless, this weekend was definitely an improvement over Zandvoort. We have plenty of tasks ahead to take the next step, and we'll be focusing on those as we prepare for the upcoming consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented that their speed today wasn't sufficient to compete for points, especially in a straightforward race without any disruptions or major surprises.

"Our speed was definitely better than it was last weekend in Zandvoort, but we are still lagging behind our main rivals in terms of performance."

Over the weekend, there was noticeable progress in single-lap speed. However, it's evident that we must identify the car's optimal performance and ensure a perfect execution throughout the weekend to achieve the best outcome.

“Our strategy as a team is to concentrate on diligent effort and perseverance, aiming to shave off those vital fractions of a second that will help us break into the top ten, rather than depending on fortune.”

Sauber is set to transform into Audi next year, although they will keep their existing identity for now.

Nico Hulkenberg, who currently races for Haas, has secured a contract for the 2025 season. This puts pressure on Bottas and Zhou, who are now competing to stay in Formula 1 and avoid being

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

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