The Kick Sauber F1 team are ready to bring their first upgrade package of the season at the 2024 Canadian GP. Speaking about the potential of this latest package, Zhou Guanyu had some really confident things to say about their season to come.
According to the #24 driver, the Monaco GP became a benchmark for the team about how to progress with their car. After identifying the areas they lacked in, the team are ready to re-work their chassis and aerodynamics at the Canadian GP.
Zhou was quoted on X (formerly Twitter) as saying, “We know how just a hundredth of a second could make a big difference in qualifying, where we need to make the biggest gains. We must keep focused and deliver at the top of our game all weekend long, aiming for the top ten.”
Zhou: We know how just a hundredth of a second could make a big difference in qualifying, where we need to make the biggest gains: we must keep focused and deliver at the top of our game all weekend long, aiming for the top ten.
— Junaid #JB17 (@JunaidSamodien_) June 4, 2024
The Chinese racing ace’s objectives for the Canadian GP are ambitious, to say the least. This year, the team has failed to score a single world championship point and sit in tenth in the Constructors’ standings. Hence, Zhou’s assessment of the upgrades could be a season-defining one for the Hinwil-based team.
The Monaco GP was yet another tough outing for the Sauber team. Both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finished outside the top 10. However, despite all the drivers managing their tires and the pace, they finished a staggering two laps behind the leaders.
Why it is important for Sauber to get their act together
Sauber‘s start to the 2024 season has been disastrous, to say the least. Not only did they have a sluggish car, but they also had massive issues in other departments. For instance, they were suffering from excruciatingly long pitstops owing to defective wheel nuts.
But the team needs to pick themselves up from their slump and they need to do it quickly. With the 2025 drivers market as fluid as it will ever be, the team needs to raise its game to be able to lure a top-name driver.
The team is all set to rebrand into a works Audi F1 team from 2026 onwards. While Audi are already working on their power unit, the fate of the chassis, which at this point in the season seems to be lacking, will also determine how competitive they are from the get-go.
This lack of performance can also be attributed to why Carlos Sainz still hasn’t been able to convince himself to sign with them on a long-term deal.
