Zhou Guanyu of China’s Sauber C44 car made a stop in the pit during the Formula 1 World Championship race at the Australian Grand Prix in Albert Park, Melbourne, on March 24, 2024.
Sauber’s Trackside Engineering Director, Xevi Pujolar, has revealed that the team’s ongoing pit stop problems in Formula 1 are due to a “hardware problem.” The team, based in Hinwil, had a disappointing performance last season, finishing ninth in the standings. The start of the current season has been equally disastrous for Sauber, as they have failed to score any points. In addition to struggling with the competitiveness of their C44 car, Sauber has also been plagued by lengthy pit stops in the first three rounds of the championship.
During the season-opener in Bahrain, driver Bottas had to endure a 52-second pit stop, while his teammate Zhou Guanyu faced a setback in his comeback drive in Jeddah. Despite promises from the team to make improvements and solve the issue, Bottas received a 31-second pit stop during the Australian Grand Prix last weekend. Sauber was also fined €5,000 for dropping a wheel nut in the pit lane. Pujolar has admitted that the recurring problem requires a more fundamental solution.
Pujolar explained, “From the first race, we found some issues with pit stops, specifically with the cross-thread. We didn’t encounter this problem during free practice or even during the winter. However, it becomes more critical every time we enter a race situation. We have made some small modifications this week, but they are not sufficient. We had another pit stop issue. As long as we have this problem, it will be very difficult for us. It’s not the fault of the crew; they are doing everything correctly. The problem lies with the hardware, and we need time to find a solution and the necessary parts to fix it before the Suzuka race.”
Pujolar also revealed that finding the final solution will take longer because Sauber relies on external suppliers for the specific parts that need to be changed.
Despite Bottas’ impressive performance in qualifying, making it to Q2 for the first time in 2024, his chances of scoring points were dashed by the extensive 31-second pit stop. Both Max Verstappen and the two Mercedes drivers dropped out of contention, and Bottas was in a close battle with the Haas drivers, who ultimately finished in the points. Bottas crossed the finish line in 14th place, one position ahead of Zhou. Sauber’s Team Representative, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, admits that the team is letting down its drivers.
“First of all, we need to apologize to our drivers, especially to Valtteri, who showed in the first part of the race that he could compete with the top 10 drivers and was clearly fighting for a points finish, thanks to a good start and strong pace,” Alunni Bravi said. “As we mentioned before the race, we had implemented measures to mitigate our pit stop issue, which have improved the situation but have not completely solved the problem. As a team, we need to take responsibility when these things happen. It’s the only way we can improve.”