Sauber C44, there's a lot in 'Stake': all new front suspension

Sauber has unveiled the C44

A new look, but the news is not just aesthetic. Sauber has removed the veils from the Stake C44, which aims to try to improve the disappointing ninth place obtained in the Constructors' standings in 2023. Below are the words of the team manager Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the technical director James Key and the drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guan Yu Zhou.

Alessandro Alunni Well done: “The new car we presented today, the C44, is a tribute to the work done by James Key and the technical team, and to all the men and women at Hinwil, who contributed to the creation of the car. Attending the launch of a new car is always a special moment, and it is even more so when it marks the beginning of a new era, that of Stake F1 Team. We have a new identity and we're excited about everything we have planned, on and off the track: today, however, it's all about the C44 and its potential. We are confident in this car and our team: we won't talk about specific goals, because it is always difficult to commit to numbers, but our objectives are clear: to improve the performance of our car and our package. By package I mean every sector, from the racing team to track operations, to pit stops, to strategy: it's not just about the performance of the car, and we are committed in all departments to take this step, that's the goal. Then, we will see what our position will be as the season progresses: but the main objective is to improve this year and do a better job than what we did in 2023.”

James Key: “It's always nice to see the birth of a new car. The C44 project was already underway before I joined the team, of course. I arrived in the middle of the project, so I have to give credit to the team, who did a fantastic job. There is a great team in Hinwil, with a positive working atmosphere and everyone eager to make progress. Of course, designing and building a car like the C44 is not the work of one person: it is an immensely complex project, even more so today, with the regulations we have. The key is precisely the management of this process, with the hundreds of people who worked hard to develop the car, design it and finally build it. The C44 is practically a completely new car, with some carryover areas at the rear. The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I arrived: there are a lot of mechanical changes, some of which you don't see at all, but others are very visible. The front suspension is completely new, a difficult and ambitious project for a team of our size, and there are also many aerodynamic changes, as to be expected given that this remains the main area of ​​development – ​​so overall the car will look very different to that of last year. We've taken many new and exciting directions, all of which seem to have some potential, so we can't wait to see them on track.”

Valtteri Bottas: “The new C44 is definitely different, both in terms of appearance and what we can expect from the car. We must perform as a team and make the most of this package, which has impressive potential: nothing else matters. From a personal point of view, when tackling the third season together with a team, the goals must be high. My expectations are high, we absolutely need to make a good step forward and see progress compared to last year, a season in which, in all honesty, we did not achieve the objectives we had set ourselves. We have to remedy this immediately, we have to improve our game and do better, but I saw that real enthusiasm has returned in Hinwil and I am confident that we can do it.”

Guan Yu Zhou: “We've put a lot of effort into it since last season, especially in the second half of the year, after the summer break, to make sure we understood exactly where we needed to improve as a team and what the plan would be for the guys in the factory for the winter: now it's time to put it all together and take the car to the track. Expectations are high but, at the same time, we won't know where we stand until we start competing with our rivals. The new car has been built with great effort and I look forward to driving it soon.”