2024 Qatar Grand Prix – Saturday

KICK Sauber F1 Team enjoyed a good day under the Doha floodlights as Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas delivered a solid performance in the Sprint Race and Qualifying sessions for the Qatar Grand Prix.

In the day’s earlier session, the Sprint, Valtteri gained a place at the start, holding his position despite pressure from his rivals to bring the car home in 12th position. Team-mate Zhou, starting at the back, focused on maximising his chances for qualifying and tomorrow’s race, and closed the race in 19th place.

The team’s performance in Qualifying was the year’s best: both cars cleared the Q1 threshold and were competitive in Q2, with Zhou finishing 12th and Valtteri in P13 – less than a tenth off a place in Q3. These starting positions will allow the duo to be in the mix for a place in the top ten in the race right from the start.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: “The Qualifying session here in Doha has been one of the most demanding of the season, as the outlap has proven to be a decisive factor for performance. It required planning the correct sequence to ensure the right tyre temperatures at the start of the push laps. Our team and drivers have done an excellent job in preparing for this session, resulting in one of our best qualifying performances of the season, with both Zhou and Valtteri completing the session without any mistakes. While the margins are still extremely tight, we must welcome this result as it should provide our team with an extra motivation boost to maintain our focus for the remainder of the season. We have not given up, as evidenced by our ongoing car development efforts, including the recent upgrades to the floor and front wing. We must continue to put everything together, striving for perfect execution, and work collectively towards our important target. This morning’s Sprint Race was crucial in gathering valuable data to understand the tyre graining resistance, allowing us to have a clear strategy for every tyre option available for the main race tomorrow. Overall, it has been a positive day, and we are pleased to come out of qualifying with a smile on our faces. However, our hopes are that we can carry this positive momentum into the main Grand Prix tomorrow.”

Valtteri Bottas (car number 77):
KICK Sauber F1 Team C44 (Chassis 02/Ferrari)

Sprint: 12th

Fastest lap: 1:25.447 (Lap 12)
Tyres: Medium Used

Q1: 1:21.927 (11 laps)
Q2: 13th / 1:21.731 (8 laps)

“I am quite satisfied with the team’s performance today, both in the Sprint and in Qualifying. It has been some time since we have been in such a favourable position, so that is certainly positive and hopefully something we can turn into a good result. Earlier today, the Sprint itself was not particularly eventful: I made up a place at the start, but things then settled down quickly. At the very least, it gives us an indication that hanging on to the cars in front in the race should be possible. I entered Qualifying with quite some confidence: I was hoping to challenge for a place in the top ten, but I found myself less comfortable with the car’s balance compared to yesterday, and this impacted my consistency throughout the session. Nevertheless, we are in a strong position as a team to fight for points tomorrow, which is the most important thing.”

Zhou Guanyu (car number 24):
KICK Sauber F1 Team C44 (Chassis 04/Ferrari)

Sprint: 19th

Fastest lap: 1:25.051 (Lap 19)
Tyres: Start (Soft New) — Lap 11 (Medium Used)

Q1: 1:22.103 (11 laps)
Q2: 12th / 1:21.501 (8 laps)
“Today was a very good day. In fact, I think it was my best qualifying session of the year, and I’m pleased to see once more this new floor is pushing in the right direction. Earlier in the day, we started the Sprint Race on softs to leave us more options in terms of tyre strategy for tomorrow’s race. It was obvious that the softs wouldn’t work, but nevertheless, we were able to collect valuable data and information. In Qualifying, the team did a good job of providing me with a well-balanced car, which allowed me to deliver a good lap. We still have a job ahead of us: let’s focus on tomorrow, give it all we have and do everything we can to score a good result.”