Sauber are the only team yet to score a point this season, leaving them bottom of the constructors’ championship. They may have a bright future as Audi, but their present is bleak.
They were joined at the foot of the table by Williams until the Monaco Grand Prix, when Alex Albon finished ninth. Alpine also have a couple of points thanks to two P10s.
Zhou Guanyu came agonisingly close to scoring at the opening race in Bahrain but crossed the line in 11th. Since then, neither driver has finished higher than 13th.
Sauber look to have overcome the pit-stop issues that plagued them in the early races, but the car remains fundamentally slow. Indeed, Zhou and Valtteri Bottas were due to start on the back row in Monaco before the double Haas disqualification.
The team will dispense with at least one of their drivers for 2025 after signing Nico Hulkenberg. The veteran German previously raced in their colours back in 2013.
They ideally want to partner him with Carlos Sainz, but they’re finding it difficult to convince him. Sainz looks increasingly likely to join rivals Williams instead.
Michael Schmidt tells Sauber to consider Zane Maloney
Speaking on Auto Motor und Sport’s Formel Schmidt podcast, journalist Michael Schmidt said Sauber were in need of a boost. They currently find themselves in a deeply ‘frustrating’ situation.
One way to change the trajectory of their season, he says, could be to make a mid-season driver change. Zane Maloney, who currently ranks third in the F2 championship, is on their books already.
The 20-year-old is gunning for the title in his second season, having started the year with a Sprint and Feature Race double in Bahrain. Sauber could also turn to Theo Pourchaire, who won the title in 2023 and is now racing in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren.
One external candidate in the same mould may be Aston Martin’s Felipe Drugovich. The Brazilian took the F2 title a couple of years ago and is currently competing in the European Le Mans Series.
“In my opinion, the team needs to get a certain amount of reassurance, ‘yes things are looking up, something is moving forward’,” Schmidt said. “At the moment, they’re stuck in the back there and it’s frustrating.
“I definitely have to worry about [CEO] Andreas Seidl. In my opinion, he’ll have to replace one of the drivers during the season. He should take Maloney, who does a good job in Formula 2, or bring back Pourchaire who they trained for three years.
“I don’t know how good he is, it’s hard to estimate. He’s now driving in IndyCar. Or they should take Drugovich, who would bring money with him. Let the guy drive a few races, and then see if something goes on.”
Valtteri Bottas has three clear options for 2025
It’s unclear which of the two drivers would be more vulnerable if Seidl decided to make such a change. Bottas leads Zhou 6-2 in the qualifying head-to-head, but they’re tied at 4-4 in the races.
What’s more, the Chinese driver brings significant backing from sponsors. Sauber may lose some of that money if he doesn’t complete the season.
Sauber recently decided to change Bottas’ race engineer without consulting the former Mercedes driver. This wasn’t exactly a glowing indication of his standing within the team.
The good news for the Finn is that he does have numerous options elsewhere. With Esteban Ocon set to leave Alpine, he could potentially partner Pierre Gasly.
He’s also held multiple interviews with Williams, the team where he started his F1 career. Haas view him as a strong alternative to Kevin Magnussen too, so any spell on the sidelines would likely be brief.
The post 'Replace one of the drivers': Journalist urges F1 team to bring in F2 high-flyer 'during the season' appeared first on F1 Oversteer.