The 2024 System 1 Spanish Grand Prix arrives with 9 of the ten groups having loved a factors end this yr.
Sauber, nevertheless, remains to be searching for their first optimistic results of the marketing campaign.
Whereas each Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu have proven tempo at instances this season, the group nonetheless has nothing to point out for his or her efforts over the 2024 F1 marketing campaign. Earlier within the season the group was undone by an issue within the pits, and continued prolonged pit stops turned promise into heartbreak.
Now they arrive on the Spanish Grand Prix, the primary race of an F1 tripleheader, realizing they want “complete enhancements” but nonetheless “assured” of their potential to lastly break by means of into the factors.
“We return to Europe after a difficult weekend in Montreal, decided to bounce again on the first potential event. The group is united, we perceive that complete enhancements are important throughout all areas, however we stay assured in our potential to compete for factors as soon as once more,” described Crew Consultant Alessandro Alunni Bravi.
“The tight margins on this sport imply that even the smallest enhancement could be pivotal, significantly in qualifying. Enhancing our single-lap efficiency is significant to positioning ourselves higher on race day and concentrating on a top-10 end,” continued Alunni Bravi. “Our dedication and arduous work will likely be key to turning our season round and everybody, each trackside and again in Hinwil, is able to embrace the problem forward.”
Whereas Bottas has but to safe his first factors of the F1 season, the motive force is coming off his greatest athletic results of the 2024 calendar yr. The driving force and his companion Tiffany Cromwell participated within the FNLD GRVL biking occasion this previous week the duo helped arrange.
Bottas captured his first gravel race win, whereas Cromwell secured victory within the ladies’s 177 kilometer race
Having tasted success on the bike not too long ago, Bottas is now hoping for extra success on the observe.
“It’s good to be again in Barcelona, a spot that we all know just like the again of our arms. It is a place that all the time suited me and really feel I could be at my greatest right here. It’s a circuit that has no secrets and techniques for the groups: we have now reams of information about it, in each situation and with each variable accounted for therefore, as soon as once more, it is going to be the best particulars that can make the distinction, particularly on Saturday,” described Bottas. “Though we haven’t been as robust in the previous few races as we must be, we’re assured in our skills. The group has put in great quantities of effort to know our points and enhance our efficiency. It’s a good discipline, however with improved qualifying, we all know we could be again within the combat for factors once more.”
Whereas his teammate shouldn’t be coming off comparable athletic success throughout his week away from the observe, Zhou can also be eager for a optimistic end in Barcelona.
“I’m excited to be again racing once more, and I’m decided to get again into the combat for factors,” described Zhou. “Sadly, the previous few races didn’t go properly for me and the group, however we’re decided to bounce again. We’ve used our little break correctly to establish points and work arduous to be aggressive once more.
“I’ve some good reminiscences of Barcelona – final yr’s race was a variety of enjoyable and I introduced residence some factors, too. It’s a observe we all know properly and that ought to imply there will likely be no surprises – it’ll be all about final efficiency,” added the Sauber driver. “It’ll be essential for us to start out robust: nailing our setup early into the free follow classes with a lot of working to place us in a very good place for qualifying and finally the race.”
So far, the group’s greatest outcomes have come up to now two weeks, when Bottas positioned thirteenth within the Monaco Grand Prix, after which thirteenth once more in Montreal throughout the Canadian Grand Prix. Maybe that momentum — and Bottas’ success in FNLD GRVL — offers the group the enhance they should lastly open their account in Barcelona.
