Sauber Struggles Yet Sees Silver Linings: Bottas and Zhou Remain Point-less at Monza

Clean team sees “encouraging signal” though 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, even though they have yet to earn any points in the F1 Italian Grand Prix.

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

Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant (who is no longer with Williams) are the only Formula 1 drivers in 2024 who haven't scored any points, and Sauber is the only team in the same situation.

The Sauber team's pair of drivers secured the last spots on the grid, prompting them to equip Bottas with hard tires and have him run an extended initial stint. Despite these tactics, the team's strategy was mostly unsuccessful.

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

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

"Each driver successfully maintained their tire conditions, including both hard and medium compounds, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy and keep degradation in check."

"While our current speed isn't sufficient to compete for points, the low-drag package introduced at Monza and the adjustments we made for qualifying have enhanced the car's balance, giving Valtteri and Zhou an opportunity to contend."

"We are not yet in a position to compete for points, but it's worth noting that today we've made some progress in closing the gap with our main rivals – this is an encouraging development that should be highlighted."

Bottas shared his thoughts on the race, stating, "It was 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 different and possibly benefit from a well-timed Safety Car."

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

Reflecting on the race, I realize I wouldn't change a thing. We managed to move up a few spots and earned 16th place fairly, but that was truly the best outcome we could achieve.

"We didn't see significant improvement in our speed. Although our weekend began on a positive note, we couldn't maintain that momentum or make substantial gains. Nonetheless, this weekend was definitely an improvement over what we experienced in Zandvoort. We have plenty of work to do to reach the next level, and that's what we'll focus on as we prepare for the upcoming back-to-back events in Baku and Singapore."

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

“Our speed has definitely gotten better since last weekend at Zandvoort, but we are still lagging behind our main rivals in terms of performance.”

Over the weekend, we've noticed a better performance in single-lap speed, but it's evident that we need to fine-tune the car and deliver a perfect weekend to achieve the optimal outcome.

“Our team prioritizes diligent effort over luck, striving to shave off those critical fractions of a second that will edge us nearer to a top-ten finish.”

Sauber is set to undergo further transformation into Audi next year while maintaining their existing identity.

Nico Hulkenberg has secured a contract with Haas for 2025, putting pressure on Bottas and Zhou as they fight to keep their places in Formula 1 and avoid being dropped from the sport.

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

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