Valtteri Bottas, a member of the Alfa Romeo F1 Team, acknowledges that the Sauber Formula 1 team did not meet its goals in the previous season and challenges them to exceed the “high expectations” he has for the upcoming 2024 season.
After F1 reintroduced ground effect aero in 2022, Sauber achieved its best championship finish since 2012. However, they dropped to ninth place in the last season.
Sauber has developed a redesigned car, the C44 charger, with only a few components carried over from its previous uncompetitive model.
Despite their underperformance last season, Bottas, who will be entering his third season with the team, believes that Sauber should aim high for this campaign.
“As we enter our third season together, we need to set ambitious goals,” Bottas stated. “I have high expectations, and we must make significant progress compared to last year, where we fell short of our targets.
“We need to address that now, step up our game, and perform better.”
Bottas suggests that his increased optimism for this year stems from the addition of former McLaren Technical Director James Key and increased investment in the team.
When asked about his confidence in Sauber’s prospects, Bottas responded, “I am confident due to the changes that have taken place within the team.
“We have acquired new resources in various departments, undergone a complete transformation, and the new car has a distinct appearance, not just in terms of livery.
“All of this gives me confidence that we are on a different path, hopefully the right one.”
The Finnish driver, formerly a ten-time winner in the prestigious grand prix with Mercedes, declares his satisfaction with the progress made by Sauber in developing their latest car during the winter months.
“When a new season begins, every team starts with a clean slate, and it becomes impossible to predict one’s position in the sport. This uncertainty is what makes the sport so captivating, especially in the current era where teams are separated by razor-thin margins,” he stated.
“We are aware that every team is pushing hard and making advancements, but I am pleased with what we have accomplished in the past few months with our new car. Based solely on my observations, I can confidently say that I am more optimistic about this season compared to the previous one.”
Bottas offers a word of caution, explaining that Sauber will only be able to gauge its standing in the Formula 1 hierarchy once their car has been tested on various circuits.
“Testing provides a valuable opportunity to understand the strengths and weaknesses of our package. It allows us to familiarize ourselves with the car’s setup. However, it is only during the first race that we can truly get a sense of our position,” he admitted.
“To be honest, based on my experience in the sport, it usually takes the first three or four races to accurately assess where we stand. This is mainly due to the diverse nature of the tracks in the initial rounds of the season. It would be premature to draw definitive conclusions too early.”