Sauber’s Silver Lining: Bottas Point-less but Optimism Grows Amid F1 Challenges

Clean team sees "encouraging sign" despite Valtteri Bottas not scoring any points

Clean team leader maintains there is cause for hope

Sauber is confident that 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 Monza, finishing two spots in front of his teammate Guanyu Zhou.

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

Sauber's drivers started from the rear of the grid, so Bottas was given hard tires to run the longest initial stint possible. However, these strategies didn’t significantly improve their situation.

Nevertheless, team spokesperson Alessandro Alunni Bravi remains hopeful.

He stated that, despite the final standings appearing similar to prior races, there were some encouraging aspects in the team's performance.

"Both drivers successfully handled their hard and medium tires, enabling us to stick to our pre-race strategy with tire wear remaining manageable."

“We still don't have the speed we need to compete for points, but the low-drag package we introduced at Monza, along with the adjustments we made for qualifying, enhanced the car's balance. This provided Valtteri and Zhou an opportunity to contend.”

"We have a significant distance to cover before we can compete for points, but it's crucial to recognize that we've made progress today by narrowing the gap with our main rivals. This is a positive development that we should emphasize."

Bottas commented on the race, saying, "It was a straightforward and smooth race for us; we opted for a one-stop strategy, beginning with the hard tires, as we aimed to do something different and hoped for a favorable timing of a possible Safety Car."

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

Reflecting on the way the race played out, I wouldn't change a thing: we managed to gain a few positions on the track, reaching 16th place through our own efforts, but that was genuinely the best we could achieve.

"We didn't see significant improvements in our speed. Although our weekend began positively, we struggled to maintain that momentum and make substantial gains. Nevertheless, it was certainly an improvement over our performance in Zandvoort. We have a considerable amount of work ahead to advance further, and that's what we'll be focusing on as we prepare for the upcoming back-to-back races in Baku and Singapore."

Zhou stated, “Our speed today wasn’t sufficient to contend for points, particularly in a race that was smooth and free from any major disruptions or surprises.”

"Although we were evidently faster than last weekend in Zandvoort, we are still trailing behind our main rivals in terms of performance."

Over the weekend, there has been some progress in our single-lap speed. However, it's evident that we must identify the car's optimal performance zone and deliver a perfect weekend to achieve the best outcome.

Instead of depending on luck, our team is dedicated to staying focused and working diligently to shave off those vital fractions of a second that will help us break into the top ten.

Sauber is set to transition into Audi next year, though they will keep their current form for the time being.

Haas has signed Nico Hulkenberg for the 2025 season, putting Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou in a battle to stay in Formula 1.

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

Further Details

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to fully or partially reproduce text, photos, or illustrations in any manner.