With their previous Alfa Romeo partnership coming to a close after five seasons, a fresh title sponsor and unique new livery are in store for Kick Sauber’s 2024 F1 campaign. But will these changes help to usher in a new era for this historically mediocre Formula One team?
2024 Drivers
Like every other team in the field, the driver lineup for Kick Sauber remains unchanged from the previous season. Heading into his third season, 24-year-old Zhou Guanyu will be looking to improve upon his previous two seasons, garnering six world championship points in both and finishing in an uninspiring 18th place among the drivers. This season will be a massive test for the Chinese driver who will be looking to retain his place in F1 moving into the 2025 season as his contract runs out with Kick Sauber at the end of 2024.
Zhou’s Finnish teammate, Valtteri Bottas, is no newcomer. The 34-year-old driver, now entering his tremendously impressive 12th season, will look to share his experience with the younger Zhou throughout their possible final season together. Bottas is one of the most experienced drivers across the 20-man F1 grid. Having secured a Mercedes seat in the 2017 campaign, Bottas was a massive part of the Mercedes dynasty, along with Lewis Hamilton, that achieved historical numbers through 2022. Sauber will hope to cultivate a strong driver partnership capable of finishing higher than their previous 9th place only a season prior.
Season Expectations
After a difficult 2023 with Alfa Romeo, Sauber will certainly be looking to compete at a much higher level moving into 2024. In the previous season, Bottas found it difficult to grapple with the tough driving conditions of the car. Consistency seemed to be one of the main issues plaguing the team throughout 2023. Oftentimes, it seemed like a coin flip between competing for points and getting stuck in the bottom five. If Sauber are serious about making progress up the point table for both the Constructor’s and Driver’s championships, then they have to ensure they are consistent in their performances.
Overall, their development throughout the season was limited and Sauber ran their best races in the beginning portion of the campaign. They constantly looked well off the pace of the race, regardless of their decent qualifying performances. A primary focus for 2024 must revolve around revitalizing the technical department to ensure optimal performance.
Examining the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from the previous year, the narrow gap of less than a second between pace-setter, Max Verstappen, and the slowest runner, Sauber’s own Zhou, in the first segment of qualifying underscores the razor-thin margins in modern-day F1. With just over six-tenths of a second separating P1 and P18, the level of competitiveness across the grid becomes glaringly apparent. The times should only continue to get closer as well as the rules responsible for this level of competitiveness are now entering their third season in the sport.
For Kick Sauber to achieve their goals, they are going to need to stay consistent and effective in their car upgrades to ensure they are in the top portion of the F1 World Championship table.
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