2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Preview

Action comes thick and fast for Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, as round two of the championship sees the team travel to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Following a solid display in the season-opener in Bahrain, the team will aim to continue its upwards trajectory on the Corniche Circuit.

Team Quotes

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: “We approach the next race in Jeddah with confidence: we saw what we can deliver in race conditions, having been convincingly the sixth best team in the race in Bahrain, and we think we can make one further step this weekend. We know where we need to improve, both in terms of car and in terms of execution: our single-lap performance has to be better, as positions higher up the grid would allow us to be in the thick of the battle for the final points-paying positions right from the start of the race, and we need to keep working to refine the set-up of the car to extract its full potential. The Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia is very different from what we had in Sakhir, and we’ll need to get on top of the conditions – of the track surface, of the layout, of the temperature – straight from the first practice session. We know how tight this battle is, and every little detail has the potential to make the difference. We are looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

Valtteri Bottas (Car 77): “One of the positives of back-to-back races is the opportunity to bounce back immediately after a disappointing race, and this is my aim for Jeddah. I prefer to focus on the positives from last weekend: we could see the solid race pace our car can deliver, not just in Zhou’s performance but also in mine, despite the damage I suffered at the start. We can build on that and ensure the other elements of the weekend also improve, and I have full confidence in our ability to be competitive on every track. The track in Saudi Arabia is a fun one to drive: it’s fast, it’s got some really challenging corners and some sections with an incredible flow. It’s a street circuit and, with it, come some specific challenges: track evolution plays a big part as the weekend progresses, and teams need to be able to react to it. I’m looking forward to it, and to seeing how well we can do on a very different track from last time out.”

Zhou Guanyu (Car 24): “Last week’s performance has been a big confidence boost for everyone in the team. We know the basis of our car is solid and that we can fight at the front of our group of teams, but we also know that we have to keep pushing to understand how to extract its potential and set it up in the most effective way. There is a lot in the pipeline, and we will try and make the most of every opportunity we may have. From a personal point of view, I am very pleased of what I could deliver in Sakhir: it was a strong start of the season, and that made me hungry for more.

Jeddah is another opportunity to do well and everyone in the team will be keen to confirm our position and fight for some points.”