Sauber Collect First Points in 2024 at the Qatar Grand Prix

Outgoing Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who is stepping up from F2, will replace them.

The points scorer

Speaking to Sky Sports after the GP, Guanyu said:

“Great race, the pace was strong as well. I didn’t know I was driver of the day until I got to the TV pen, so thank you to the fans for that.

“Mentally, it has been a really draining season for me, for Valtteri and for the whole team. This was our best opportunity after an amazing Saturday performance and we wanted to show what we can do.

“Today’s race was very clean and executed well, I think. There is a lot of work done that people don’t see behind the scenes to just continue to be there every weekend, just hoping we will see a return. And today is the day!” – Zhou Guanyu.

Point-less and pointless season

Heading into the final triple-header of the year, Sauber appeared destined to endure a pointless season.

Yet, under the lights of Lusail, Zhou delivered in a chaotic race that saw five DNFs and several penalties handed out to drivers such as Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell.

He also avoided contact with Lance Stroll and Alex Albon early on in the race, enduring clashes around him to fight for points.

This has marked a much-needed highlight in an otherwise forgettable campaign for the Swiss-based team.

Zhou’s achievement, however, does little to alter Sauber’s position at the foot of the Constructors’ Championship.

Still, these points will be a source of pride for the Hinwil factory, offering a glimmer of hope after months of struggle. For a team that has battled relentlessly against technical setbacks and competitive challenges throughout 2024, the result in Qatar will feel like a small but significant victory.

It could have been an even better outing for Sauber at the Qatar Grand Prix as Valtteri Bottas also showed a strong pace.

However, misfortune struck when the Finnish driver ran over debris, a stray wing mirror from Williams’ Albon, on the start-finish straight, which damaged his car and compromised his race.

Despite his efforts, he narrowly missed out on the points, finishing P11.

Picking up the pace: Is it enough?

The Qatar weekend, thus, highlighted the impact of Sauber’s latest upgrades. Bottas praised the improvements in car performance, even though he acknowledged the changes have come too late to rescue the season.

“It’s very late in the season and we’ve been waiting for these improvements for a long, long time,

“But at least we can now try and do something and just need to make the most out of it.” – Valtteri Bottas.

Bottas, who qualified 13th, finished 12th in the sprint and finished the GP in 11th, noted that the upgrades introduced in recent races, such as a new underfloor geometry and adjustments to diffuser and floor edges, have enhanced stability and downforce.

Despite these improvements, his struggles in 2024 underline Sauber’s broader challenges. He has only progressed from Q1 nine times this season and today managed to finish higher than P13 for the first time.

Conclusion

The Qatar Grand Prix may not have drastically shifted the standings for Sauber or their drivers, but it did give the team much-needed positivity in a season of low points and misses.

As the 2024 campaign nears its end next week in Abu Dhabi, Zhou’s battle for P8 will undoubtedly inspire the team from here on out.

It was also a fitting goodbye for a driver who has had little opportunity to showcase what he is made of.