F1 | Sauber: new technologies to reduce production times

With the last act of the 2023 season, the partnership between Sauber and Alfa Romeo also came to an end, with the Italian brand thus deciding to say goodbye to Formula 1. Replacing the Italian brand in the role of main sponsor of the Swiss team will be Stake, with the team renamed “Stake F1 Team”.

However, attention is undoubtedly starting to progressively shift towards 2026, when the transition under the banner of the Audi brand will officially take place with the entry of the German company into the top flight in conjunction with the arrival of the new technical regulations. To be prepared, new hires are underway behind the scenes thanks to targeted investments, which not only serve to strengthen the team from a human point of view, but also in terms of the structures available.

Taking a step back, in 2022 one of the problems that had afflicted the Hinwil team was that relating to the production of updates, which often arrived later than expected. For example, a new front wing arrived at Suzuka linked to some new features on the bottom, while a second package arrived at Austin, by which time the season had already taken a defined direction. Given the improvements seen in the final part of the championship with the technical innovations, the drivers were certain that, if those parts had arrived earlier, then the C42 would have been able to compete for greater results. Updates had helped make progress in high-speed cornering, one of the car's weak points, but which had helped add downforce and improve the overall balance of the car.

Last year the cause of the delay in the production of these pieces was mainly linked to the lack of budget, but new investments and the arrival of a new sponsor have helped to improve the structures and speed up the times. Taking the second half of the season as a reference, i.e. from the Dutch Grand Prix onwards, Sauber brought updates to several six events.

Monza saw a revision in the front suspension area as well as a more streamlined rear wing to adapt to the needs of the circuit, while in Singapore a large package was introduced with which both the diffuser and the bottom were modified. Furthermore, in the last Grand Prix of the year, the engineers presented a front wing revised in various details, such as the design of the flap and the endplates.

“Naturally we have to take a step forward as a team, and for us the objective, we never talk about figures or positions, but the objective is to grow. This year too we have seen that there are still areas to improve, where there are weaknesses, and James is working on this [Key] and, of course, Andreas Seidl”, explained Alessandro Alunni Bravi, team manager.

The new front wing brought to Abu Dhabi

The transformation process towards 2026 is moving in small steps, to carefully intervene on those weaknesses that have proven to be major limitations in recent years. “Andreas is working not only on 2026 and the team's transformation process, but also on the present to improve the team for 2024. One of our weaknesses in the past was the development during the season, we were not able to bring development like our direct competitors. This year we have significantly reduced the production time of new parts, we have been able to have constant development during the season, bringing at least four major [pacchetti di] updates, we had five underlying specifications. [Ad Abu Dhabi] we have introduced a new front wing”, added the manager of the Swiss team.

Among the investments made were those related to the production part in Hinwil, in order to have more efficient technologies: “So, we were able to develop within the constraints of the cost ceiling with shorter delivery times, and this extends to the investment made in the production part in Hinwil, to the investment made in the design office to have the best technology available. And it is a process that we will continue.”

However, Sauber is making investments not only in terms of structures, but also in terms of personnel, so much so that behind the scenes the hiring phase is underway from other teams, including those from a top team. Now the number of people in the factory has risen to over 500, approximately double compared to 2017, when Frederic Vasseur joined the Hinwil team as Team Principal: “We want to continue to grow in all the areas where we need to improve, everywhere. We need to improve the operations on the track, and Xevi Pujolar is working hard to also develop the team structure, to bring in people with more experience, with a strong background.”