Sauber Sees Silver Linings Despite Point-less Monza Performance: Bottas and Zhou Fight On

Sauber sees "positive indicator," but Valtteri Bottas remains without points

Sauber's chief asserts there is cause for hope

Sauber thinks 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 the Monza race, finishing two spots in front of his teammate, Guanyu Zhou.

Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant (who no longer retains his position with Williams) are the only Formula 1 drivers in the 2024 season who haven't scored any points. Additionally, Sauber is the sole team yet to earn a point.

Sauber's pair of drivers started from the rear of the grid, with Bottas equipped with hard tires for an extended initial run; however, the team's strategy proved to be mostly ineffective.

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

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

"Each driver effectively managed their hard and medium tires, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy while keeping tire wear in check."

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

"We have a significant way to go before we can compete for points, but it's crucial to recognize that we've made progress by narrowing the gap with our main rivals – this is an encouraging development worth highlighting."

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 the timing of a possible Safety Car would work in our favor."

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

Reflecting on the race's progression, I wouldn't change a single decision: we advanced several spots through our own efforts, reaching 16th place, which was truly the best outcome we could achieve.

"Our speed hasn't significantly improved; although our weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain our momentum and make further gains. Nonetheless, it was definitely an improvement over our performance in Zandvoort. We have a lot of work to do to take the next step forward, and that's what we'll focus on as we prepare for the upcoming back-to-back races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou commented: "Our speed today wasn't sufficient to compete for points, particularly in a race that was straightforward and free of interruptions or major surprises."

"Our speed has definitely gotten better since last weekend in Zandvoort, but we're still lagging behind our main competitors in terms of performance."

Over the weekend, there was a noticeable enhancement in our single-lap speed. However, it's evident that we must identify the car's optimal performance settings and deliver an impeccable performance throughout the weekend to achieve the best outcome.

"Instead of depending on fortune, our team concentrates on staying dedicated and working diligently to gain those essential fractions of a second that will move us nearer to the top ten."

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

Haas has confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg will be part of their team for the 2025 season, putting pressure on Bottas and Zhou as they fight to retain their positions in Formula 1.

Sauber and Red Bull are the only teams with open driver positions for the upcoming season.

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