F1 News: Sauber Reveals "Challenge" Of 2024 Car - "Everything Works In Reverse"
The Sauber F1 team has taken upon a serious challenge in 2024 by moving away from its previous car philosophy to opting for a pull-rod front suspension setup to accommodate aerodynamic advantages. However, with the suspension setup working in "reverse", the team needs some gearing up to overcome setup problems.
Key Takeaways:
- Sauber F1 faces a tough challenge in 2024 with a new pull-rod front suspension setup for aerodynamic benefits, yet struggles to overcome initial setup issues.
- Despite redesigning the C44 inspired by Red Bull's RB19, Sauber failed to fully exploit the changes, resulting in a lack of pace and no points in the early races.
- Pit-stop problems plague the team, with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu facing setbacks in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively. Meanwhile, Audi's acquisition of 100 percent ownership of Sauber marks a significant off-track development amid earlier speculation about Audi's Formula 1 involvement.
Sauber Press Image
Like several other teams on the grid, Sauber ventured into Red Bull's RB19 territory for performance inspiration. While the C44's design does highlight the resemblance, the team has yet to exploit the full potential of the changes it made to the car.
The process of unlocking performance from an alien concept can be time-consuming and frustrating at the same time. Since the start of the 2024 season, Sauber has failed to score points in Bahrain and Jeddah, a factor well-highlighted by deputy team principal Alessandro Alunni Bravi in Saudi Arabia, who spoke of a "disappointing" P11 and 19 finish.
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Ahead of the 2024 season, Sauber anticipated improvements, investing significant effort in developing the new C44 and revitalizing its Hinwil car with a sleek black and green aesthetic. Despite these efforts, the team's lack of pace has resulted in no points earned in the initial two races, a stark contrast to the previous season when they had already accumulated four points by the third race.
Not to forget the long pit stop problems faced during the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Valtteri Bottas encountered a setback during his second pit stop, losing nearly 50 seconds due to a cross-threading problem at the front axle.
Similarly, in the recent Saudi Arabian race, Zhou Guanyu faced a comparable issue during his pit stop, resulting in a delay of approximately 25 seconds. The Chinese driver was one of only four drivers not to have stopped when the safety car came out, and despite having to deal with some cooling issues, he was on course to finish 11th.
The Main Challenge
For the first time in the team's Formula 1 history, the engineers installed a pull-rod suspension at the front axle of the Sauber C44. Technical director James Key explained while testing how complicated such a change could be. He told the media:
"The challenge of this design is to achieve a stiff assembly that performs its damping and spring work as well as a push-rod suspension. Everything works in reverse with a pull-rod suspension."
Sauber Press Image
Upon joining the team in September last season, Key had limited control over the chassis and suspension, as they were already finalized for the new car. The configuration of coolers and control units was influenced by the RB19, resulting in a highly undercut side pod that functions akin to a tunnel to the floor, with the side panel acting as a wing. However, implementing design changes on a new car is a significant undertaking, and the results may take time to materialize.
One positive aspect for Sauber arrived far away from the racetrack. Following speculation about an early termination of Audi's Formula 1 involvement, the automaker announced on Friday that it would now acquire 100 percent of Sauber, originally intending to purchase only 75 percent of the shares.