Sauber Spot Signs of Progress Amidst Point-less Struggles: Bottas and Zhou Optimistic for Future Races

Sauber sees "positive signal" despite Valtteri Bottas remaining without points

Sauber's leader maintains there is cause for hope

Sauber is confident they've narrowed the distance to their closest competitors, even though they haven't earned 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 holds his position with Williams) are the sole Formula 1 drivers in 2024 who have not scored any points. Additionally, Sauber is the only team yet to secure a point.

Sauber's two drivers started from the back of the grid, so they put hard tires on Bottas's car and kept him out for an extended initial stint, but their strategy didn't pay off much.

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

He stated that, despite the final standings appearing similar to earlier races, there were positive 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."

Although this isn't sufficient to compete for points due to our overall speed deficit, the low-drag package introduced at Monza and the adjustments made for qualifying have enhanced the car's balance, providing Valtteri and Zhou with an opportunity to compete.

"We are still far from competing for points, but it’s crucial to note that the distance between us and our main rivals has decreased today – this is a positive development worth highlighting."

Bottas reflected on the race, saying, “It was quite a straightforward and calm race for us. We opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, in an attempt to try something new and potentially benefit from a well-timed Safety Car.”

"Regrettably, our efforts didn't pan out as we had hoped, but I believe it was worthwhile to attempt."

Reflecting on the progression of the race, I have no regrets about my decisions: we managed to move up several places through our performance, ultimately reaching 16th position, which was realistically the best outcome we could achieve.

“We didn't see significant improvement in our speed. Although our weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain that initial momentum and didn't make substantial gains. Nevertheless, this weekend was certainly better than our experience at Zandvoort. We have plenty of work to do to advance further, and we'll be focusing on that leading up to the consecutive races in Baku and Singapore.”

Zhou commented that their speed today was insufficient to contend for points, particularly in a straightforward race without any interruptions or major surprises.

"Although our speed showed significant progress compared to last weekend at Zandvoort, we are still lagging behind our main rivals in terms of performance."

"Over the weekend, there has been a noticeable enhancement in our one-lap speed. However, it is evident that we must fine-tune the car's performance and deliver a perfect weekend to achieve the optimal outcome."

"We prioritize diligent effort over luck, concentrating on the essential fractions of a second that can elevate us into the top ten."

Sauber is set to transition into Audi next year, yet they will maintain their existing identity.

Nico Hulkenberg has secured a contract with the Haas team for the 2025 season. As a result, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are now in a fight to keep their spots in Formula

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

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