The 2024 Formula 1 season is being marked by an unexpected problem for the Sauber team (Stake F1 Team): very long pit stops. The team has faced difficulties in all the races played so far.
Right at the opening of the championship, in Bahrain, a pit stop lasting 52.4 seconds hurt Valtteri Bottas, who only finished in 19th place. In Saudi Arabia, it was Zhou Guanyu’s turn to be hampered by a stopping problem, losing his chance to score.
Sauber had promised to resolve the issue for the Australian GP, but the slow stops continued. Both Bottas and Zhou suffered delays in the pits, although the Chinese driver’s problem was caused by gearbox and anti-stall issues.
With the strategic importance of pit stops in modern F1, any chance of a top-10 finish is lost due to these team issues. The big obstacle at Sauber is the hardware, according to team director, Xevi Pujolar. He stated that ‘the team is doing everything correctly’ (during the shutdowns).
The curious thing is that the problem did not appear during pre-season testing or free practice. Only in the races, and all the team’s effort during the weekend goes down the drain.
Pujolar explained that the problem is in the complete wheel unit: “It’s the entire system. It’s not the impact guns, but the wheel hub and nut. The final solution will take a while, I’m afraid.”
There is the possibility of returning to last year’s components to solve the problem, but the change in the front suspension prevents this option.
Despite the concern, Sauber did not panic, according to Pujolar. The director feels sorry for the mechanics: “It’s frustrating for everyone, including the drivers. But also for us and the entire team. The performance is good, we are there. Imagine how difficult it is for the mechanics. We need to stay calm, focus on the positive and see that we are close. Five teams can fight for sixth place, and there have only been three races so far”, concluded Pujolar. Sauber currently occupies ninth place in the constructors’ championship and is one of only three teams that has not yet scored points.
Download our official app to Android It is iPhone and receive notifications of the latest news.
