2024 Brazilian Grand Prix – Sunday
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber faced a difficult day as Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu took on challenging conditions at the Brazilian Grand Prix. In a revised timetable that saw both qualifying and the race on the same day, there was plenty of drama on offer. The qualifying session had its share of red flags, with Valtteri performing well to set the 11th time and Zhou recording the 20th time. The race, ran under rainy conditions for most of its duration, brought more hurdles with several retirements and tricky weather, with Valtteri finishing in P13 and Zhou coming home in P15.
With the triple header in the Americas now behind us, the team will regroup and get ready for the final three races of the season in Las Vegas, Doha and Abu Dhabi, as we aim to come back stronger for the season finale.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative: “Yesterday’s heavy rain – which forced Formula One to revise the timetable, changed our Sunday routine and eventually delivered a day that left us with mixed feelings. We had a very positive qualifying session, with Valtteri just 0.008 seconds away from Q3 and showing strong competitiveness in the midfield. However, the race was extremely disappointing for all of us. Valtteri lost a few positions at the start and struggled to maintain the pace for points. Zhou’s day was challenging from the start, finishing last in qualifying and concluding the race in P15. Despite the disappointment and bitter taste left by the race results, we saw some positive signs in qualifying, which we believe are due to small improvements in our package. The next two weeks will be therefore crucial for us to bring further upgrades for the last triple-header and to regroup. We do need to analyse every detail and return to the track with the right mindset to conclude the season with strong determination, a mindset to fight for points.”
Valtteri Bottas (car number 77):
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44 (Chassis 02/Ferrari)
Q1: 1:30.633 (12 laps)
Q2: 11th / 1:26.472 (9 laps)
Race result: 13th
Fastest lap: 1:22.877 (Lap 67)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Intermediate) – Lap 33 (New Intermediate)
“It was great to reach Q2, and I reckon Q3 could have been possible if it weren’t for the red flags. We tried everything we could in what was a very unique race with tough, changeable conditions and lots of restarts, including a red flag. Our biggest issue was tyre warm-up, which meant we fell back during the first few laps after each restart. Once the tyres were up to temperature, we were better, but still not enough to fight with the cars ahead. Overall, it was a weaker performance than I expected, but we gave it our all. Now we have time to regroup, as the team will work hard to bring updates as soon as possible for the remaining races.”
Zhou Guanyu (car number 24):
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44 (Chassis 04/Ferrari)
Q1: 20th / 1:32:263 (12 laps)
Race result: 15th
Fastest lap: 1:23.058 (Lap 65)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Intermediate) – Lap 28 (New Intermediate) – Lap 29 (Used Wet) – Lap 32 (New Intermediate)
“This weekend was quite challenging: with the schedule reshuffled and qualifying taking place on Sunday morning before the race in the afternoon, all teams had to adapt. The morning session felt a bit more solid, but when the red flag came out, conditions worsened just when it mattered most. I had to start my final two laps in heavy spray with limited visibility, but I believe Q2 could have been within reach. Today’s race was not easy: in each stint and after every Safety Car, it took 10-15 laps to get the tyres into the right window, but by then, the race had already slipped away from us. The lack of grip and the tough conditions made it a real challenge. Still, it’s good to close out the triple header, and now we need to use this time before Vegas to understand what we need to do to be back in the mix.”
