The 2024 F1 Spanish Grand Prix will be held with 9 out of 10 teams scoring points this year.
However, Sauber are still searching for their first good result of the season.
While both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have shown pace at times this season, the team is yet to show anything for their efforts in the 2024 F1 season. Early in the season, the team was stymied by pit issues, with hopes turning to disappointment after lengthy pit stops.
Now they arrive at the Spanish Grand Prix, the first race of F1’s triple-header, “confident” in their ability to ultimately score points, while acknowledging “comprehensive improvements” are needed.
“After a tough weekend in Montreal, we return to Europe determined to make up for it as quickly as possible. The team is united and we know that comprehensive improvement in all areas is essential, but we are confident in our ability to fight for points again,” said team principal Alessandro Arnni Bravi.
“Margins are narrow in this sport so even the smallest improvements can be decisive, especially in qualifying. Improving our one-lap performance is vital to better position ourselves on race day and to challenge for a top-10 finish,” continued Arunni Bravi. “Our dedication and hard work will be key to turning the season around and everyone here at Hinwil is ready to accept the challenges ahead.”
Bottas is yet to score his first points of the F1 season, but is looking to make his best showing in the calendar year of 2024. Bottas and partner Tiffany Cromwell took part in the FNLD GRVL cycling event last week, which the pair helped organize.
Bottas took his first gravel race win, while Cromwell won the women’s 177km race.
Having recently tasted success on the bike, Bottas is now hoping for even more success on the track.
“It’s nice to be back in Barcelona. It’s a place we know well. It’s always suited me and I feel I can do my best here. It’s a circuit where there are no secrets for the team. We have a huge amount of data taking into account all the situations and all the variables, so again the small details will make the difference, especially on Saturday,” Bottas said. “We haven’t been as strong as we should have been in the last few races, but I’m confident in our capabilities. The team has put in a lot of effort to understand our issues and improve our performance. It’s tough competition, but I’m sure if we improve in qualifying we can get back into the points fight again.”
Zhou is also hoping for good results in Barcelona, although his teammate hasn’t produced similar athletic results during his week off the track.
“I’m excited to be back racing again and I’m determined to get back into the points contention,” said Zhou. “Unfortunately, the last few races haven’t gone well for me and the team, but we are determined to bounce back. We’ve been using this short break wisely to identify our weaknesses and work hard to be competitive again.”
“I have good memories of Barcelona, I had a lot of fun racing there last year and took home some points. It’s a track I know well so there won’t be any surprises and we’ll need to perform at our best,” the Sauber driver added. “It’ll be important to get off to a good start, get the set-up right early in the free practice sessions and then do a lot of running to put us in a good position for qualifying and ultimately the race.”
So far the team’s best results have come in the past two weeks, with Bottas finishing 13th at the Monaco Grand Prix and then 13th again at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Perhaps this momentum, along with Bottas’ success with the FNLD GRVL, will give the team the momentum they need to finally claim their first win in Barcelona.
