Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu achieved a 14th and 15th place finish at the Australian GP. The team has yet to earn any points in the ongoing 2024 F1 season and currently sits at the bottom of the constructors’ standings. As a result, the team CEO is taking action and searching for potential replacements for Bottas and Guanyu in the driver market.
Sauber has finished just outside the top 10 in two out of the three races so far. Guanyu came close to scoring a point in Bahrain but finished just behind another driver. Meanwhile, Bottas was on track to earn points in Australia but a botched pitstop ruined his chances. Despite their efforts, the team is looking to expand their options before the Audi takeover.
According to Motorsports magazine, Sauber will continue to explore their options in the coming months. This serves as a wake-up call for Bottas and Guanyu, who must significantly improve their performances to save their F1 careers.
With Bottas and Guanyu out of the race in Melbourne, the lower midfield teams had an opportunity to earn their first points at the 58-lap event. The junior team, , capitalized on this chance with the Japanese driver leading the way.
Bottas expressed his frustration during post-race interviews, as he missed out on the chance to score points. The Stake F1 team had a lengthy pitstop for the Finn, which took them out of contention and allowed Tsunoda and to move ahead in the standings.
Despite these setbacks, Sauber aims to challenge for points at the Japanese GP next month. Bottas has previously won at Suzuka and hopes to utilize his experience to earn points for the Stake F1 team. The 2024 season is crucial for the former 10-time Grand Prix winner.