Sauber is gearing up for a major transformation – an all-new car that is in the works for 2024. It comes in the wake of a disappointing run this year, where the team currently known as Alfa Romeo has witnessed a steep drop from sixth to near the bottom of the constructors’ standings.
Roger Benoit, a respected voice in F1 journalism for the Swiss newspaper Blick, has not held back in his assessment of the current car, declaring it a “flop.” This kind of harsh judgment has led to significant changes in the technical department, seeing Jan Monchaux ousted from the role of technical director, with James Key stepping in to lead the team’s technical resurgence.
Key is now tasked with developing a “completely new car” for the upcoming season, “complete with a new chassis and new suspension,” Benoit reported. With Audi set to join as a future partner, their involvement and oversight are expected to increase. Benoit notes, “Future partner Audi will certainly be monitoring the new situation even more closely. And maybe even intervening.”
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, who takes charge at the race tracks while CEO Andreas Seidl focuses on the impending Audi transition, conveys the team’s position with candor. “Our car has reached the end of development. We need a technical restart now,” Bravi admits.
Confronting the car’s shortcomings has been a critical step, but rectifying them is an ongoing process. “We have recognized the limits of our car and want to stop them. But identifying and fixing errors are two different things,” he stated. As for when the fruits of their labor will be evident, Bravi points to the upcoming season’s testing: “Only in February during the tests in Bahrain will it become clear whether we were successful.”
