Stake F1’s glaring admission with crippling pit stop troubles expected to continue.
Stake F1 could be in for more pit stop woes with Xevi Pujolar admitting they need more “robust” modifications after another 30s stop for Valtteri Bottas in Australia.
26 Mar 2024 11:15 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

At the start of a season in which Stake F1 are desperately fighting to score a single point, the Hinwil team’s efforts have been blighted by lengthy pit stops. While Bottas was delayed in the pits at the season-opening race in Bahrain due to a wheel-nut issue, his team-mate Zhou Guanyu suffered the same fate in Saudi Arabia.

But despite the team making changes ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, another 31.18s stop for Bottas means it’s evident Stake F1 issues have not been resolved. “From the first race, we found some issues with pit stops, with the cross-thread,” trackside engineer Pujolar said. “It’s something that we don’t find when we do free practice, or even during the winter, we didn’t find a problem.”

‘Crippling pit stop troubles expected to continue’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/stake-...-stop-troubles


‘A 30 second pit stop is not acceptable’ – Bottas fuming after another Sauber pit stop problem
24 Mar 2024
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

For the third race in a row Kick Sauber suffered pit stop issues in Melbourne, possibly robbing Valtteri Bottas of a chance of points in the Australian Grand Prix.

‘A 30 second pit stop is not acceptable’;

https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1/Sauber


What's caused Sauber's terrible F1 pitstops in 2024?
Mar 25, 2024
by Edd Straw
The Race

Sauber is not expected to have a definitive fix for the disastrous pitstop problems that have blighted it so far this season for another three or four races. Sauber introduced countermeasures for the Australian Grand Prix weekend that it hoped would eliminate the problem, even though this came at a time cost.

Slowest Australian GP pitstops (per DHL)
30. Zhou (Sauber) - 3.40s
31. Piastri (McLaren) - 3.51s
32. Bottas (Sauber) - 3.63s
33. Gasly (Alpine) - 5.04s
34. Ocon (Alpine) - 14.71s (tear-off in brake duct)
35. Zhou (Sauber) - 20.20s (car stalled)
36. Bottas (Sauber) - 31.18s (wheelnut issue)

Head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar confirmed that the parts requiring changes come from an external supplier. The modified designs of the wheelnuts and the front hubs will take time to produce given the metallurgical processes required to manufacture them, hence the wait. The team is unable to revert to parts used last year because they are not compatible with the completely revised 2024 front suspension.

‘…another three or four races…’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/s...024-wheelnuts/


Bottas’ future hanging by a threat after harsh critique of Sauber failures
March 25, 2024
Andrew Maitland
Grandpx.news

In a rare and alarming development, Valtteri Bottas has publicly aired his grievances with Sauber, a team increasingly integrated into the Audi brand. His criticisms come at a time when speculation is mounting that he may not be included in the team’s future roster as it transitions to a works Audi setup by 2026.

Roger Benoit, a seasoned F1 journalist with intimate knowledge of Sauber, chose not to delve into the team’s morale. Instead, he remarked, “There is no need to report on the mood in the team,” noting, “The sad and stony faces say it all.” Among those displaying a “stony face” is the usually upbeat and fan-favorite Finn, Bottas.

Despite having a victorious background with Mercedes, he now finds himself arguably overshadowed by his teammate, Guanyu Zhou. Post-race in Melbourne, Bottas did not mince words about the team’s shortcomings, emphasizing, “We could have scored points today,” but lamented, “But if we can’t fix the pitstops, it doesn’t matter how the car is or how well you drive. And apparently it still hasn’t been fixed.”

‘Bottas’ future hanging by a threat’;

https://grandpx.news/bottas-future-h...uber-failures/


Loose wheel nut costs Sauber points and €5,000
14:39 Sun, 24 Mar 2024.
Malay Mail

MELBOURNE, March 24 — A loose wheel nut from Valtteri Bottas’s car cost Sauber their first points of the season and a €5,000 (RM25,587) fine at the Australian Grand Prix today after it came out of the tyre gun and rolled into the active pitlane. The incident was the latest in a series of pitlane problems for the Swiss team who will become the Audi factory outfit from 2026.

It was the third race in succession that Sauber had suffered pitstop issues, with Chinese driver Guanyu Zhou losing time in Bahrain with a cross-threaded nut and Bottas in Saudi Arabia. “We had implemented mitigation measures for our pitstop issue, something that has improved the situation but, as we have seen, not completely solved the problem,” said team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi.

‘A loose wheel nut came out of the tyre gun and rolled into the active pitlane’;

https://www.malaymail.com/news/sport...nd-5000/125282