Sauber's Pointless Singapore Grand Prix: A Weekend of Frustration

Sauber endured a deeply frustrating, points-less weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix, with both Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto finishing outside the top 10 after race incidents and struggles with pace. The team's performance served as a stark reminder of the challenges ahead, even as they look towards an Audi-powered future in 2026.

Why it matters:

Sauber's struggle in Singapore highlights the team's ongoing battle to consistently compete for points in Formula 1. While the prospect of an Audi partnership in 2026 offers long-term hope, current performances, particularly on demanding street circuits, underscore the immediate need for improvements in both car performance and race execution. For a team aiming for a significant resurgence, weekends like this emphasize the critical steps required to become a genuine contender.

The Details:

• Bortoleto's Early Race Misfortune: Gabriel Bortoleto's race was compromised on Lap 1, caught in a three-wide squeeze into Turn 1 that resulted in contact with Lance Stroll. The incident shattered his front wing endplate, forcing an early pit stop on Lap 14 for repairs and new tires.
  • He described it as an unfortunate racing incident, stating, "What happened in Turn 1 was unfortunate, three-wide into one, sometimes I think these things happen... From there on I think our race was a bit gone."
  • The early damage and subsequent long stint on worn tires led to severe degradation, leaving him with "no tyres at the end" and a P17 finish.
• Hulkenberg's Mid-Race Spin: Nico Hulkenberg's race took a turn for the worse when he made contact with Franco Colapinto's Alpine at Turn 7, leading to a high-speed spin.
  • Hulkenberg attributed the incident to Colapinto's "really early" braking, which, combined with a loss of rear downforce, caused his car to spin.
  • He finished P20, last among the classified runners, summing up the day as "Not our day, not our race, [it's] fair to say."
• Pace Deficit: Both drivers acknowledged that despite the incidents, the FW24 car simply lacked the inherent pace to challenge for points on the tight Marina Bay circuit.
  • Hulkenberg noted, "If you don't have track position it's very difficult with our car... I also feel we didn't really have an amazing pace [or] should have been well into the points."

The Big Picture:

The Singapore Grand Prix was a brutal lesson in the unforgiving nature of Formula 1, especially on a street circuit where every mistake is magnified and car performance is paramount. Sauber's current struggles highlight the significant gap they need to bridge to compete consistently in the midfield, let alone at the front. With an eye on their 2026 partnership with Audi, these experiences serve as critical data points for development, emphasizing the need for robust car design and strategic precision.

What's next:

Sauber will need to regroup and analyze the data from Singapore to understand the underlying issues with the FW24's performance, particularly on high-downforce, technical tracks. The team's focus will now shift to the upcoming races, hoping to find conditions and circuits that better suit their car and allow them to break their points drought. The incidents in Singapore, while frustrating, offer valuable learning experiences for both drivers and the engineering team as they continue to build towards their future aspirations.