Skip to content

MID-SEASON REPORT: Kick Sauber – As the hunt for points continues, can changes at the top help the team move forward?

The best moment

The Chinese Grand Prix weekend brought some positive moments for Kick Sauber both on and off the circuit, even if this was ultimately not reflected in the final results.

After a tight internal battle in Saturday’s Sprint, Zhou came close to scoring a point by finishing the event in P9, while Bottas’ Q3 debut of the year in qualifying was another pleasing moment.

But maybe it was Zhou emotional reaction The 24-year-old, who is so far the only Chinese driver to have competed in F1, was cheered by the crowd as he crossed the finish line and was emotional as he got out of the car.

READ MORE: Fashion, tigers and Alonso’s wise words – Getting to know the real Zhou Guanyu

The worst moment

Pit stop problems were a constant struggle for Kick Sauber in the early stages of the season, adding to their woes alongside a lack of results. Bottas suffered a 52 second pit stop in Bahrain thanks to a cross-threaded wheel nut, which dropped him to 19th.

Similar incidents occurred in Saudi Arabia and Australia, where Bottas lost the race. potentially score points in this last one after his stop was delayed by about 30 seconds.

Fortunately, the team eventually overcame the problem, but their points drought continued throughout the 14 rounds of the championship so far.