2024 British Grand Prix – Sunday

Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber had a challenging Sunday under variable conditions in Silverstone. On a race that went from dry to wet and back to dry again, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finished 15th and 18th respectively. It was a difficult afternoon, and the team will return to base knowing it needs to work hard to address its weaknesses, continuing its development plan to close the gap with its rivals.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: “This race confirms that we lack pace, and we were unfortunately not able to reach any of the targets we had set for ourselves before the weekend. Zhou’s race was compromised by starting on softs: we did not expect the levels of graining and tyre degradation that he experienced in his first stint, and which forced us into an early pitstop before the rain came out. Of course, coming back from there was very hard, and the remainder of his race was beyond recovery. Valtteri had a better race, with good strategy calls and pit stops. He was in phase with all our main competitors, but he also suffered overheating on the front axle and graining, and this affected his pace heavily – on all compounds we used today. We clearly need to make a step forward, and this is why we need to keep working hard to address our weaknesses through a continued and committed programme of development, starting already from the next rounds.”

Valtteri Bottas (car number 77):
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44 (Chassis 03/Ferrari)
Race result: 15th
Fastest lap: 1:31.277 (Lap 44)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Medium) – Lap 26 (New Intermediate) – Lap 37 (New Soft)

“The conditions our there were very tricky, especially when we were on slicks on a damp track: still, I think we got all the big calls right. We were always among the first to switch tyres and we read the conditions well: we didn’t make any unnecessary stops and probably got the most from the changing circumstances. The stops were pretty good too: unfortunately, what we lacked was enough pace under either condition, but we still finished in a better position than we started in. I was also really pleased to see Lewis [Hamilton] win today, especially in his home Grand Prix. I know how much it means for him and how important this race is for him. Now, we have a couple of weeks to focus on improving: we have upgrades coming soon, that will hopefully continue to help us make a step, as the other teams have done.”

Zhou Guanyu (car number 24):
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44 (Chassis 02/Ferrari)
Race result: 18th
Fastest lap: 1:31.014 (Lap 43)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Soft) – Lap 12 (New Medium) – Lap 19 (New Intermediate) – Lap 26 (New Intermediate) – Lap 37 (Used Soft)

“Today wasn’t really our day. We started on softs, hoping to make the most of the time before the rain: we made some good progress but, unfortunately, the rain came too late, and by then my tyres were already gone. We switched to mediums, and when the rain eventually arrived, we pitted for inters. However, it felt my race was already compromised after the first stage. Overall, our single-lap pace feels similar to what we had in Barcelona, but there’s still a lot of work to do to get back into the fight for points. It might be a longer journey, but I hope we can find a quick fix. With the European triple header behind us, we’ll use the time before Budapest – a track that has suited us well in the past – to continue working on the car and make the right improvements.”