Sauber heads to Baku to keep dreaming of sixth in the Constructors’ Championship. Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto share their thoughts ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Sauber heads to Baku to keep dreaming of sixth in the Constructors’ Championship

Sixth place in the teams’ standings is just seven points away

After Gabriel Bortoleto’s eighth-place finish in Monza, Sauber turns its attention to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the aim of continuing to fight for what would be a remarkable result: sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship. That position is currently held by Aston Martin, which has a one-point lead over Red Bull Racing and seven points over the Hinwil-based team. Sunday in Italy was a day of mixed emotions for Sauber, with Bortoleto happy and Nico Hulkenberg disappointed after retiring at the end of the formation lap. Here are the statements from the drivers and team principal Jonathan Wheatley ahead of the Baku weekend.

Gabriel Bortoleto

“It was great to get back into the top ten in Monza, another confirmation of the quality of the work we are doing. Baku is a very different circuit: I only raced here last year in a different category, and I have been training on the simulator to prepare for the weekend. I have confidence in our car and the team: we have all worked hard to keep improving. Our goal, as always, is to put everything together starting from Friday, stay consistent, and hopefully score more points.”

Nico Hulkenberg

“Sunday in Monza was obviously one to forget, but the team focused on understanding the problem to make sure it is fully resolved. The positive side is that our car showed promising pace, which gives me great confidence ahead of Baku. Street circuits can be tricky: you need to be reactive, manage traffic, and make the most of every opportunity. It’s a different challenge compared to a traditional track, but if we get everything right from Friday, we have a chance to score points and enjoy another strong weekend.”

Jonathan Wheatley

“Scoring points again in Monza gave everyone a boost in morale: we have focused on both the quality and consistency of our performance, and we are seeing the results of this work on track. With such tight competition in the mid-field and the opportunity to score points, it was frustrating for Nico not to be able to start the race, but we worked hard in the factory to understand the issue and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Baku is an interesting mix of challenging street sections, where precision is crucial, and fast stretches where overtaking is possible. As in all our recent races, we want to be in contention for points based on absolute performance and seize opportunities as they arise.”