Jonathan Wheatley praises Sauber’s recovery: upgrades and Mattia Binotto behind the progress. Jonathan Wheatley discusses Sauber’s recent resurgence ahead of the Austrian GP.

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal of Sauber, speaks about the team’s rebirth ahead of Austria: thanks to the upgrades and to Mattia Binotto

In the most recent stages of the championship, we have seen clear improvements in the performance of the Swiss team, which is set to become Audi in 2026. One iconic moment was Hülkenberg overtaking Hamilton during the race in Barcelona—a single episode that reflects a growth path after last season’s difficulties. Let’s hear Wheatley’s words about Sauber’s recent performances on the eve of Austria.

For this round, upgrades have been introduced aiming to give continuity to a project in strong development. The main area that has been revised is the floor and the diffuser. The goal of this move is to improve the way airflow travels from the front to the rear, generating more downforce. The second area of intervention is the rear wing, which we will see frequently from now until the end of the season.

The Team Principal’s account
During the usual Friday press conference, Wheatley spoke to us about the situation developing at Sauber ahead of the Austrian GP. At the heart of the discussion were the improvements made to the car, but also some kind words for the drivers.

Among his responses, we also find a thank-you to Mattia Binotto: “What’s encouraging is that the work started by Mattia almost a year ago is beginning to bear fruit. There’s starting to be correlation between the tools. The parts we’re adding to the car so far seem to be going in the right direction. The drivers have more confidence. We understand the C45 better than five or ten races ago. There’s a growing momentum in the team and great energy.”

The Team Principal couldn’t help but speak positively about his top driver, Nico Hülkenberg, when asked directly: “Well, you know, I’ve followed his career for a long time now. Working with him has been a pleasure, I must say. His professionalism, the way he approaches a race weekend.”

The German driver appears to have found a good feeling with the car: “He’s clearly enjoying the updates made to the car. He’s enjoying his time at Sauber right now and is giving his best. Canada wasn’t a circuit where we expected to perform so well, yet we managed to deliver a very solid performance with both drivers and scored points in two consecutive races.”

At Spielberg we’ve seen a faster Bortoleto so far, even though it’s only Friday: “Gabi is so close [to Nico Hülkenberg]. Confidence is growing. Even today, another really clean performance, with very positive feedback from the engineers in Free Practice 1. He’s learning, he’s growing. Really, really pleased with his progress.”