It has been an offseason of change for Sauber, who have rebranded their F1 team following the end of the 2023 season. After Alfa Romeo’s departure as title sponsor, the team has signed Stake to be the new title sponsor for 2024. The Sauber team will be keeping this branding until 2026, when they help welcome Audi into the world of F1.
With all eyes on Audi’s incoming arrival, it places Sauber in an awkward position for the time being. After a promising 2022 season, which saw the team finish 6th in the team standings, the pace disappeared for 2023. Sauber dropped to 9th in the standings, scoring only 16 points during the season.
As the competition has steamed ahead, it will be interesting to see how the team handles their unique situation: Will Sauber put the necessary resources into trying to improve now, or will they place their focus on Audi’s arrival in 2026?
Zhou Guanyu, entering his third season for Sauber in F1, has expressed optimism in the team’s performance for 2024.
“As the personnel at the team’s headquarters, especially in the technical department, are constantly being added and adjusted, we hope to create a better and more complete team,” Zhou said. “I have my trust in the team and feel that this year we can get back to the performance level we had in my first season.”
For Zhou, and his veteran teammate Valterri Bottas, they cannot afford to sit and wait patiently for 2026. Both drivers are in the final year of their contracts.
Bottas, who drove for Mercedes from 2017 to 2021, has been a solid addition to the team. No longer living in the shadow of his former teammate Lewis Hamilton allowed Bottas to relish in his new role. His veteran experience has also proved beneficial to Zhou, who has been able to extract just as much out of the car as Bottas.
But, that’s about it. The driver pairing has seemed like one of the quieter pairings on the grid. Not too bad, but nothing that gives Sauber an advantage over the competition.
With such large changes looming, can Bottas and Zhou survive? Or will Audi want their 2026 arrival to be accompanied with fresh faces?
It’s an unfortunate situation for both drivers, who have been unable to prove exactly what they are at this stage in each of their careers. If Sauber can’t improve their car enough in 2024, it will only make it more difficult for each driver to retain their role.
As for the team itself, whether or not they perform well in these bridge years probably won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Audi’s arrival will at the very least bring resources and excitement the team hasn’t seen in years.
For these two seasons however, Stake F1 is here to stay. The races still must be run. Bottas and Zhou will fight to keep their spots on the grid.
It will be fascinating to see what Sauber brings to the table.
Featured Image Courtesy of Formula1.com
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