The ride-height approach behind Hulkenberg’s excellent US GP sprint qualifying
Nico Hulkenberg’s journey to a surprise fourth place in qualifying for the United States Grand Prix sprint hinted that Sauber had been aggressive with its ride heights for the 19-lap race on Saturday, as the German felt he’d hit «the sweet spot» with his set-up. Having been concerned that his route to second in FP1 was […]
Colapinto ‘braking 100 metres early’ caused F1 Singapore GP spin
Nico Hulkenberg has blamed his Singapore Grand Prix spin on Franco Colapinto, claiming the Alpine Formula 1 driver braked much earlier than usual. Hulkenberg was attacking Colapinto for 14th position on lap 43 when he clipped the rear of the Alpine in Turn 8, breaking his Sauber’s front wing endplate. But the Argentinian was not […]
How Sauber is responding to Hulkenberg’s poor F1 qualifying record vs Bortoleto
Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley has dismissed any concerns over Nico Hulkenberg being regularly beaten by rookie Formula 1 team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto in qualifying. Bortoleto has a 13-7 record over Hulkenberg this year, 11-6 without sprints, in what has been an impressive campaign for the reigning F2 champion who has five Q3 appearances. The numbers can […]
Why Sauber isn’t giving up on F1 2025 despite 2026 overhaul and Audi transformation
Up and down the Formula 1 pitlane, the finest engineering minds are fully focused on solving the challenges of the forthcoming shift to an entirely new car and drivetrain package for the 2026 season. Given McLaren’s dominance, many could be forgiven for declaring this a “stop the count” moment and disregarding entirely the 10 remaining […]
The foundations Sauber is laying to build a winning F1 culture as it converts into Audi
«Life in Switzerland was one of the biggest surprises of the job,” Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley tells Autosport. “I’m absolutely loving it. We live in Zug [a lakeside town in the foothills of the Alps], which is not far from Zurich, we’ve got this amazing city just down the road, and my wife and I often sit […]
Bortoleto on his F1 career path, Alonso’s guidance and Verstappen friendship
Formula 1 drivers tend to look forward, with a laser focus on what they can do better to cement the place on the grid they have worked towards for so long. A belated appreciation for what they have already achieved often comes later, sometimes only after their careers have ended. Gabriel Bortoleto is a wonderful […]
How Verstappen helped Bortoleto on his journey to F1
That Gabriel Bortoleto and Max Verstappen get along well has been evident on several occasions this year. Just before the start of the Australian Grand Prix, the four-time Formula 1 world champion advised the Sauber rookie to start the race on intermediate tyres – a call that proved to be the right one. In Austrian […]
How Wheatley wants Sauber to use Hulkenberg podium momentum in Audi transformation
Jonathan Wheatley says he is relishing the chance to carry Sauber’s mid-season momentum into 2026, as the team transitions into the Audi Formula 1 outfit. Wheatley officially joined Sauber in April after leaving Red Bull and has already overseen steady improvements during his short tenure as team principal. At the Austrian Grand Prix, Gabriel Bortoleto […]
From no-hopers to F1 podium in 12 months: What’s changed at Sauber?
After the conclusion of his hopeless and point-less 2024 campaign, Valtteri Bottas waved the white flag on his Sauber move. «It was a mistake. Everything started off well in the first year, but since then it was downhill,» The Finn said. «There was a clear plan for targets for the three years, and also how […]