Valtteri Bottas of Kick Sauber ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan on September 15, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Valtteri Bottas believes that Sauber’s struggles to improve their performance stem from their inability to upgrade the car. In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, the Finnish driver noted that instability in the team’s upper management has also negatively impacted results.
With Sauber set to be rebranded as Audi in 2025, the team has undergone significant changes this year. Sauber Group CEO Andreas Seidl and Chairman Oliver Hoffman have both departed, while former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer. He will be joined next year by Jonathan Wheatley, who will take on the role of team principal.
Currently, Sauber has not scored a point in the last 18 races, placing them at the bottom of the constructors’ championship. Bottas feels that the lack of car upgrades and stable leadership is evident in their on-track performance. He emphasized that a turnaround similar to McLaren’s in 2023 is unlikely without significant upgrades.
