2024 Spanish Grand Prix: Preview

KICK Sauber F1 Team returns to Europe as it makes its way to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. Following a thrilling Canadian Grand Prix, the team continued to work hard to extract performance from its C44 and used the week between the races to get to Barcelona in the best possible shape.

A good mix of high-and low-speed corners – with a challenging Turn 3, Barcelona is set to be an interesting race that will see a very tight field fighting for the points.

Team Quotes

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: “We return to Europe after a challenging weekend in Montreal, determined to bounce back at the first possible occasion. The team is united, we understand that comprehensive improvements are essential across all areas, but we remain confident in our ability to compete for points once again. The tight margins in this sport mean that even the smallest enhancement can be pivotal, particularly in qualifying. Improving our single-lap performance is vital to positioning ourselves better on race day and targeting a top-10 finish. Our dedication and hard work will be key to turning our season around and everyone, both trackside and back in Hinwil, is ready to embrace the challenge ahead.”

Valtteri Bottas (Car 77): “It’s good to be back in Barcelona, a place that we know like the back of our hands. This is a place that always suited me and feel I can be at my best here. It’s a circuit that has no secrets for the teams: we have reams of data about it, in every condition and with every variable accounted for so, once again, it will be the finest details that will make the difference, especially on Saturday. Although we haven’t been as strong in the last few races as we should be, we are confident in our abilities. The team has put in tremendous amounts of effort to understand our issues and improve our performance. It’s a tight field, but with improved qualifying, we know we can be back in the fight for points again.”

Zhou Guanyu (Car 24): “I’m excited to be back racing again, and I am determined to get back into the fight for points. Unfortunately, the last few races didn’t go well for me and the team, but we are determined to bounce back. We’ve used our little break wisely to identify issues and work hard to be competitive again. I have some good memories of Barcelona – last year’s race was a lot of fun and I brought home some points, too. It’s a track we know well and that should mean there will be no surprises – it’ll be all about ultimate performance. It’ll be crucial for us to start strong: nailing our setup early into the free practice sessions with lots of running to put us in a good position for qualifying and ultimately the race.”