2024 Formula 1 British Grand Prix Highlights

Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber had a challenging Sunday under variable conditions during the 2024 Formula 1 British Grand Prix in Silverstone. In a race that went from dry to wet and back to dry again, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finished 15th and 18th, respectively. It was a difficult afternoon, and the team will return to base knowing it needs to work hard to address its weaknesses and continue its development plan to close the gap with its rivals.

Valtteri Bottas

The conditions were very tricky, especially when we were on slicks on a damp track; still, I think we got all the big calls right. We were always among the first to switch tyres and read the conditions well: we didn’t make any unnecessary stops and probably got the most from the changing circumstances. The stops were pretty good, too: unfortunately, we lacked enough pace under either condition, but we still finished in a better position than we started. I was also really pleased to see Lewis [Hamilton] win today, especially in his home Grand Prix. I know how much this race means to him and how important it is. Now, we have a couple of weeks to focus on improving: we have upgrades coming soon that will hopefully continue to help us make a step, as the other teams have done.

Zhou Guanyu

Today wasn’t really our day. We started on softs, hoping to make the most of the time before the rain: we made some good progress, but unfortunately, the rain came too late, and by then, my tyres were already gone. We switched to mediums and pitted for inters when the rain eventually arrived. However, it felt like my race was already compromised after the first stage. Overall, our single-lap pace feels similar to what we had in Barcelona, but there’s still a lot of work to get back into the fight for points. It might be a longer journey, but I hope we can find a quick fix. With the European triple header behind us, we’ll use the time before Budapest – a track that has suited us well in the past – to continue working on the car and make the right improvements.

Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Representative

This race confirms that we lacked pace, and unfortunately, we could not reach any of the targets we had set for ourselves before the weekend. Zhou’s race was compromised by starting on softs: we did not expect the graining and tyre degradation levels he experienced in his first stint, which forced us into an early pitstop before the rain came out. Of course, coming back from there was very hard, and the remainder of his race was beyond recovery. Valtteri had a better race, with good strategy calls and pit stops. He was in phase with all our main competitors, but he also suffered overheating on the front axle and graining, and this affected his pace heavily – on all compounds we use today. We need to take a step forward, so we need to keep working hard to address our weaknesses through a continued and committed development programme, starting from the next rounds.

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