F1
Sauber’s Glimmers of Hope Amid Point-Less Struggles: Bottas and Zhou Eye Improvement
Sauber sees "good sign" despite Valtteri Bottas not scoring points
Sauber's chief 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 16th place at the Monza race, finishing two positions in front of his teammate, Guanyu Zhou.
In the 2024 Formula 1 season, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Logan Sargeant—who is no longer with Williams—are the only drivers yet to score a point. Additionally, Sauber remains the only team without any points.
Sauber's pair of drivers started from the rear of the grid, prompting the team to equip Bottas with hard tires and attempt an extended initial stint, but these strategies ultimately proved ineffective.
Nonetheless, spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi maintains that there is a sense of hope.
He asserted that although the final standings might not appear significantly different from past races, there were encouraging aspects in the team's performance.
"Each driver effectively handled both the hard and medium tyres, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy and keep tyre degradation in check."
"Certainly, this isn't sufficient to compete for points yet, as we don't have the necessary overall speed. However, the low-drag package introduced at Monza and the adjustments made for qualifying enhanced the car's balance, allowing Valtteri and Zhou the opportunity to contend."
“We are still far from competing for points, but it's worth noting that the distance between us and our main rivals has decreased – this is an encouraging sign that deserves recognition.”
Bottas commented on the race, saying, "It was a straightforward and calm race for us. We opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, in an effort to try something new and perhaps benefit from the timing of a possible Safety Car."
"Regrettably, things didn't go as planned for us, but I believe it was beneficial to make the attempt."
Reflecting on the race's progression, I wouldn't change any decisions: we advanced a few spots on the track, reaching P16 through our own efforts, but that was honestly the best we could achieve.
"We didn't see significant improvements in speed; although our weekend started on a positive note, we struggled to maintain that momentum and make substantial progress. Nonetheless, this weekend was definitely better than our experience at Zandvoort. We have considerable work to do to take the next step forward, which will be our focus as we prepare for the upcoming consecutive races in Baku and Singapore."
Zhou mentioned that their speed today wasn't sufficient to compete for points, particularly in a race that went smoothly without any major disruptions or surprises.
"Although our speed showed a notable improvement from last weekend's race in Zandvoort, we still lag behind our main rivals in terms of performance."
Over the weekend, we've noticed some progress in our one-lap speed, but it's evident that we need to identify the car's optimal performance and have a perfect weekend to achieve the best outcome.
"Instead of depending on luck, our team prioritizes diligent effort, aiming to shave off those vital fractions of a second that will edge us nearer to the top ten."
Sauber is set to transition into Audi next year but will keep their existing identity for the time being.
Nico Hulkenberg has secured a position with Haas for the 2025 season, putting pressure on Bottas and Zhou as they fight to stay in Formula 1.
The only teams with open driver spots for the upcoming season are Sauber and RB.
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