Twelve months have passed since Sauber scored a point for the last time, in the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. At the time the partnership with Alfa Romeo was still in force and it was the swansong of that adventure, with a double top which allowed the Swiss team to score six points, a haul that proved sufficient to overtake Haas in the constructors’ championship and avoid last place.
One year later, however, the situation is different and even more difficult, because Sauber is currently still stuck at zero in the standings, having failed to score any points during the 2024 season.
The team had had the best chances at the beginning of the year, when, however, it had to deal with problems in the pit stops which, on several occasions, had not allowed it to extract the maximum from the race, as happened for example in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or Japan, where a remote possibility of finishing in the top ten wasn’t so unrealistic. Curiously, however, from that moment on Sauber took a big step forward on that front, because in the last few races it proved to be among the quickest of the lot on pit stops.
The mechanics of the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber practice pit stops
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
A situation which, however, had its impact, because while others began to develop the car, Sauber invested money and resources to solve the problems related to pit stops. Clearly, however, this is not the only reason for the fall of the Swiss team which, undoubtedly, can try to appeal to the difficulties at the beginning of the season and the time wasted for not being able to make the most of some chances, but it is also It is true that development has not gone in the right direction.
At the beginning of the year, the Hinwil car seemed to be able to compete in the best positions in the center of the group in terms of performance, despite the problems in high-speed corners due to the lack of load, an issue already addressed last season. Over the course of the year, some developments arrived to try to resolve the situation and give new life to the single-seater, but it is also true that the innovations did not allow us to make the leap forward hoped for as for other teams, without forgetting that the package more substantial technician arrived only shortly before the summer break, among other things only for one car.
A difficult situation, with the car currently still showing clear weaknesses not only in terms of performance, but also in terms of handling, given that the drivers have complained many times about how the C45 is very difficult to drive and excessively sensitive to external, as in the wind. Furthermore, the Swiss car struggles over bumps and dips in the asphalt, so it’s no surprise that it struggled in Singapore, for example.
Sauber is currently at a standstill, with investment earmarked to prepare for 2026, when the team will become the official Audi team. Clearly, everything developed and improved now in this transformation process can be useful even before the entry of the house of the “four rings”, but it is clear that it takes time to implement everything correctly. The team has started a recruitment campaign, one that can perhaps give greater results in a short time, while it will take more time for the structures, because it is not enough just to invest, but it is also necessary to put together all the various elements to make the team perform the project is better, as Aston Martin is demonstrating.
Zhou Guanyu, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
This is an aspect that the current member of the Board of Directors and team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi knows well, also because other teams, such as McLaren, have invested heavily in the renovation of the structures in recent years. In fact, according to the Italian, every resource the team has in Switzerland has room for improvement.
“Over the last 18 months we have seen a change in the management structure, both at Audi and Sauber. I therefore believe that there has been a clear review of the project and a realignment of objectives based on the task ahead,” he said. explained Well done students.
“I have always been convinced that the challenge of Formula 1 is completely different to that of any other motorsport category. And of course we have a lot of work to do to catch up to our competitors. We need to increase staff, facilities, technology and tools. But we knew this.”
“I believe that now there is a more precise understanding of what is needed, not only to improve, but to become a winning team. And with Mattia’s experience [Binotto, nuovo responsabile del gruppo Sauber]the commitment of [Gernot Dollner, CEO di Audi]I believe they share a clear vision of the trajectory of this team, of what is needed,” added the Italian.
Valtteri Bottas, Team Stake F1 KICK Sauber C44
Photo by: Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images
“If you look at the investment made by McLaren, they decided to do a new wind tunnel. At Aston Martin, what they have done in the last three and a half years, in terms of the factory, new wind tunnel, new simulator, increased of personnel, appointment of high-level people, with Adrian Newey arriving last. So it’s not just that Sauber needs to improve to become a factory team. It’s that Formula 1 has never stopped developing. Across all industries, in terms of technology, in terms of people, this is something we need to do as well.”
Binotto himself, in his first public outing as the new head of the Sauber group in Monza, said that Sauber’s results at the moment are not acceptable, especially for a team that will become Audi in the not too distant future. It is clear that a change of pace is needed and the fact that behind the scenes there have been greater movements more to improve the team with a view to 2026 than immediately, as Valtteri Bottas also confirmed, has had a significant impact.
“We are all building a team together and I think it is very important to lay solid foundations right from now. And the fact that Mattia was in Monza is a clear sign that his commitment is not only for the future, but that we must show progress right from the start. from now to be competitive in the future. He has full responsibility for the team’s sporting success and sporting success starts now, not in 2026. So we are building the foundations now”, added Alunni Bravi.
Binotto himself explained that it is of fundamental importance to change the mentality of those who already work at Sauber, accustomed in recent years to mid-table results at best, into a mentality hungry for victories. “We know we’re starting from a small team. We need a clear business transformation from a cultural mindset perspective, but in all aspects,” Binotto explained.
Mattia Binotto, CEO and CTO, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“We must, step by step, make the right decisions, look for the right solutions and have a clear objective in front of us, in a few years, to truly become a winning team, a point of reference for Formula 1. There is full support, I was convinced of the project and I am fully convinced that it is in our hands.”
“I think judging the time needed is very difficult. The gap is important, certainly. It is important in terms of the number of people working there, the structures, what you have available, the tools. It involves many details: Whatever you look at, there’s something different than what I’m used to.”
“But for me it’s great. It’s great because I know I have a reference point in mind. I think that will definitely help the project in terms of what to do, and then it’s about ‘How can we do this as quickly as possible? Today I think the benchmarks are clear. We are defining our priorities because we cannot do everything at once.”
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