Sauber plans updates for U.S. Grand Prix
With only six Grand Prix weekends remaining, Sauber has yet to score any points this season. In an attempt to rectify this, the Swiss team is planning to update its C45 for the US Grand Prix. Aware that it is still lagging behind the rest of the field, the team is not expecting a miracle.
Sauber plans to bring new upgrades to its car at the United States Grand Prix, hoping to finally unlock its points tally in 2024. The Swiss team, facing a challenging season with its C45, struggles to move up from the back of the grid, leaving its drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, in great difficulty against the competition.
Insufficient improvements.
Despite updates made before the summer break, these developments have not made the car competitive enough and the gap with Sauber’s rivals continues to widen. Faced with this observation, the team has admitted that it has not yet fully exploited the potential of its car.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Sauber’s representative, commented on the difficulties encountered: « We introduced a large package for us in Silverstone and Hungary, which was then available for both drivers from the Zandvoort race. Now we must optimize this package. We have struggled to extract the maximum performance from it, especially at Zandvoort. We took a step forward in Monza, but there is still a lot of work to be done to find the right balance.
Although the situation seems complicated, the team is not giving up its efforts for this season. Alunni Bravi confirmed that Sauber will continue to work during the autumn break to bring new developments: “We will have more improvements during the season. We are aiming for Austin, but of course, this year, it is about marginal gains for us rather than a big step forward. So we continue to develop the car.”
Prepare 2025
Alunni Bravi also pointed out that these tests will be beneficial for the preparation of the 2025 car, as Sauber transitions to Audi in 2026: « This is important not only for this season, but also for 2025. It does not mean that we are giving up on this season, but that we are working hard to identify our weaknesses. And of course, no one has a miracle solution in Formula 1. We know that we have to progress step by step, and the improvements that will be introduced later in the season should allow us to reach a new level.
« If this will be enough to catch up with our direct competitors? Only the track will tell,” he concluded.
Alfa Romeo hopes to unlock its points counter by the end of the season, but nothing is guaranteed given the limited improvements brought by the new packages throughout the year.
