{"id":28127,"date":"2024-12-10T05:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T10:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=28127"},"modified":"2024-12-10T02:27:45","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T07:27:45","slug":"saubers-2024-f1-season-review-a-disastrous-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2024\/12\/10\/saubers-2024-f1-season-review-a-disastrous-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Sauber’s 2024 F1 Season Review: A Disastrous Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Last Word On Sport\u2019s series of 2024 F1 Reviews<\/a>, we turn to KICK Sauber, who almost ended the season without points.<\/p>\n

A Season to Forget for KICK Sauber<\/h2>\n

Sauber’s 2024 F1 season was far from the best. Too many pit stop errors, an uncompetitive car and too many mistakes on the track clouded their year.<\/p>\n

In the Constructors’ championship, Sauber only managed to score 4 points, enough only for last in the standings.<\/p>\n

These four points came during the penultimate race in Qatar, breaking a 12-month drought that saw Sauber remain at the back of the pack.<\/p>\n

The lack of competitiveness not only frustrated the team but also marked a disappointing end for Valtteri Bottas.<\/p>\n

The Finnish driver, a veteran of the sport, had hoped to conclude his F1 career – should he not return – on a high note but found himself constrained by an uncooperative car and a season filled with missed opportunities.<\/p>\n

A Sauber Struggle That\u2019s Been Lingering Too Long<\/h4>\n

Sauber entered the 2024 season with high hopes. The same driver line-up, a fresh team name, and a striking new bright green livery were meant to signal the dawn of a new era. But instead, it marked one of the worst seasons in the team\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

The decline wasn\u2019t sudden – it\u2019s been a steady downfall. Sauber hasn\u2019t seen a double-points finish since the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where they secured eighth and ninth places. Since then, the team has struggled to break into the top ten in races or even make a mark in sprint events.<\/p>\n

Even glimmers of promise, such as their Q3 appearance in Mexico this season, failed to translate into race-day results. Sauber’s inability to convert small victories into points has left them languishing at the back of the grid for too long, with no clear signs of a turnaround.<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/strong>: Lando Norris: \u201cI Have What It Takes\u201d to Be Champion in 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Pit Stop Problems<\/h4>\n

One of Sauber’s most glaring weaknesses in 2024 was their pit stops – a recurring issue that derailed races regularly. While the team occasionally showed promising race pace, their progress was often undone by basic but costly errors in the pit lane.<\/p>\n

In Bahrain, Valtteri Bottas suffered a pit stop that lasted one minute, effectively ending his chances of a competitive result. Just one week later in Jeddah, Zhou Guanyu<\/a> faced a similar nightmare when the team encountered issues with their wheel nuts and wheel guns, forcing them to redesign critical components mid-season.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>