Sauber introduced more advanced pit stop equipment for this year, but from the first race in Bahrain the company experienced cross-threading issues on the wheel nuts, leading to disastrous pit stops during the first races.
The Swiss team has made some modifications and changed its procedures to alleviate its material problems since Bahrain, which has generally worked, but Sauber’s pit stops are still generally slower than those of its midfield rivals.
Those issues have already proven extremely costly in the tightest midfield battle in years, with Bottas and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu still without points while RB and Haas have already managed to get into the picture.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Bottas said the team was introducing new changes for the Shanghai race, but a permanent solution was not available.
“It’s a difficult situation and we shouldn’t be in this situation, but we are and now we have to sort it out,” Bottas said.
“There are other changes for this weekend, but it’s not 100% fixed, so we know it’s not our strength yet.
“On the contrary, it could be our weakness, but we are trying. Let’s hope things go well now.”
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
When asked when he hoped a permanent solution would arrive, he clarified: “By Imola.”
Sauber’s weakness was on full display during the Japanese Grand Prix when Bottas found himself pitting with a midfield group of cars on lap 23.
Bottas arrived from 11th place, behind Haas’s Kevin Magnussen but ahead of a train including Logan Sargeant, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll.
Bottas entered the pits second in the group but came out fourth behind Tsunoda and Stroll, and his slower stop also meant he was undercut by Esteban Ocon’s struggling Alpine.
Tsunoda, who came out first, then claimed a point for RB on his home ground, which Bottas said could have been him as his Sauber had similar pace.
“We improved race after race, and that’s because we brought elements,” explained the Finn.
“In the last two events we have been, in terms of pace, very similar to RB and Tsunoda.
“The problems we encountered, particularly with the pit stops, largely mask what the actual results of the race should have been.
“For example, in Japan, before the first stops, I was ahead of Tsunoda and with similar pace, and he finished 10th. So, I think we haven’t really seen the full potential yet.
“We are aware that if we stop at the same time as our competitors, we will have a greater chance of losing position.
“We’ll try to optimize for that, but hopefully that’s not necessarily the case. Hopefully we’ll get that consistency and a 100% solution within a few races.”
Watch: F1 Team Concerns Over 2026 Regulation Changes
Sauber introduced more advanced pit stop equipment for this year, but from the first race in Bahrain the company experienced cross-threading issues on the wheel nuts, leading to disastrous pit stops during the first races.
The Swiss team has made some modifications and changed its procedures to alleviate its material problems since Bahrain, which has generally worked, but Sauber’s pit stops are still generally slower than those of its midfield rivals.
Those issues have already proven extremely costly in the tightest midfield battle in years, with Bottas and Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu still without points while RB and Haas have already managed to get into the picture.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, Bottas said the team was introducing new changes for the Shanghai race, but a permanent solution was not available.
“It’s a difficult situation and we shouldn’t be in this situation, but we are and now we have to sort it out,” Bottas said.
“There are other changes for this weekend, but it’s not 100% fixed, so we know it’s not our strength yet.
“On the contrary, it could be our weakness, but we are trying. Let’s hope things go well now.”
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
When asked when he hoped a permanent solution would arrive, he clarified: “By Imola.”
Sauber’s weakness was on full display during the Japanese Grand Prix when Bottas found himself pitting with a midfield group of cars on lap 23.
Bottas arrived from 11th place, behind Haas’s Kevin Magnussen but ahead of a train including Logan Sargeant, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll.
Bottas entered the pits second in the group but came out fourth behind Tsunoda and Stroll, and his slower stop also meant he was undercut by Esteban Ocon’s struggling Alpine.
Tsunoda, who came out first, then claimed a point for RB on his home ground, which Bottas said could have been him as his Sauber had similar pace.
“We improved race after race, and that’s because we brought elements,” explained the Finn.
“In the last two events we have been, in terms of pace, very similar to RB and Tsunoda.
“The problems we encountered, particularly with the pit stops, largely mask what the actual results of the race should have been.
“For example, in Japan, before the first stops, I was ahead of Tsunoda and with similar pace, and he finished 10th. So, I think we haven’t really seen the full potential yet.
“We are aware that if we stop at the same time as our competitors, we will have a greater chance of losing position.
“We’ll try to optimize for that, but hopefully that’s not necessarily the case. Hopefully we’ll get that consistency and a 100% solution within a few races.”
Watch: F1 Team Concerns Over 2026 Regulation Changes