Considering the team’s expectations at the start of the season, Sauber’s result in Australia was a true ‘godsend.’ The Hinwil-based team capitalized on the chaotic conditions at the end of the race. “We were there when it mattered,” said Nico Hülkenberg, whose seventh-place finish helped the team end the weekend as the sixth-strongest on the grid—something even the team itself would have found hard to imagine. Gabriel Bortoleto, meanwhile, finished his first F1 race with a DNF, though there were still positives to take away for the near future. Regarding the crash, Sauber’s Technical Director James Key stated that the team is still analyzing the causes, focusing particularly on the suspension failure observed before the impact with the barriers.
Nico Hülkenberg: “We Were There When It Mattered, We Made the Right Choices”
Ahead of the Australian GP, no one at Sauber expected to end the weekend with a seventh-place finish and more points than four other teams, including a struggling Ferrari. The game-changer was undoubtedly the late-race rain, which Nico Hülkenberg and his pit wall managed to exploit to perfection, making the most of a golden opportunity for the team. “I’m really happy. We didn’t expect this after the first half of the race. It didn’t seem to be going too well, but towards the end, things got more interesting,” said the German driver, who praised the team’s calls. “We made the right choices. I think others were struggling too, but we got things back on track and were there when it counted. So I’m very happy to have scored those points.”
While the result may not fully reflect Sauber’s actual competitiveness, it provides confidence for a team that needed a strong start. To put it in perspective, the six points earned in Melbourne already surpass their entire 2024 tally (four points). “Of course, the first race is always the foundation for the season, but there’s so much to learn, and now we need to process everything. We have a couple of days to analyze and then move forward,” Nico Hülkenberg said in the interview ring. His optimism was echoed by Beat Zehnder, Director of Programs and Operations: “The team performed very well, making the right choices in changing conditions and laying the groundwork for this result. While this is a big step forward, we remain focused on tackling the challenges ahead to ensure we can consistently fight for points.”
Gabriel Bortoleto: “Unlucky Incidents, but Happy with the Weekend”
For Gabriel Bortoleto, the Australian GP was more difficult to digest, as he was one of the drivers caught out by the treacherous conditions at Albert Park. “It was a tough race. I think we were doing well before the crash, but some unfortunate things happened,” said the Brazilian rookie. “When we pitted, I came out of the pits and found the Safety Car right in front of me. So when I unlapped myself, I only had one lap to catch up to the pack, and I had to restart from way back. I was trying to recover, but unfortunately, I hit the curb and ended up in the wall.”
Despite the disappointment, Gabriel Bortoleto highlighted the positives he will take into the next race in China. “I think it was a positive weekend,” he said in his first F1 race review. “In conditions like these, anything can happen. You drive on the limit, trying to do your best. I pushed a little too hard, but until that moment, the race was going well, and even qualifying was a good session.”
Technical Director James Key on Gabriel Bortoleto’s Suspension Failure: “It Could Be a Consequence of the Spin”
Following Gabriel Bortoleto’s crash, Sauber’s Technical Director James Key confirmed that the team will investigate the incident. During the spin, the right rear suspension failure was clearly visible, but it is still unclear whether it caused the crash or was simply a consequence of it. “At the moment of the spin, he was braking while facing the wrong way. That could have caused the suspension to break just before the impact. There’s no evidence that the suspension failure caused the spin—it seems more like a result of the spin, when the tire started generating more friction with the asphalt. But we’re still checking.” – he pointed out.
Key also mentioned a braking issue Gabriel Bortoleto had been dealing with since the start of the race, though he does not believe it was related to the lap 47 crash. “We had a brake issue from the start on Gabriel’s car, and he managed it very well up until the crash. But again, I don’t think the crash was caused by that issue.”
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