周冠宇

Monaco, 24 May 2024 – Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber took to the narrow and twisty streets of Monaco for the first two practice sessions of the weekend. The team devoted morning and afternoon to the search for a good setup, one that would maximise performance for tomorrow's qualifying in the Principality.

With the Saturday sessions crucial for the success of the weekend, there will be plenty for the team’s engineers, in Monaco and Hinwil alike, to work on overnight as we prepare for the ultimate test for drivers and machines – qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas (car number 77):

Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44 (Chassis 03/Ferrari)

FP1: 13th / 1:13.248 (28 laps)

FP2: 19th / 1:13.057 (31 laps)

"Today has been a productive day which allowed us to gather important data ahead of tomorrow's Qualifying, which will be decisive. I always enjoy racing on these streets: it's definitely good to be home. Our car felt good, and I overall felt quite confident in both sessions, which were dedicated to testing different setups. I reckon today's positions do not quite reflect our true performance, and we should be more competitive tomorrow. The pack is tight, and given how today felt, I'm positive we can have a proper chance at it for quali. There will be a lot to play for, and we must be at our very best in order to catch any opportunity that may arise."

Zhou Guanyu (car number 24):

Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber C44 (Chassis 04/Ferrari)

FP1: 19th / 1:14.570 (30 laps)

FP2: 20th / 1:13.773 (32 laps)

"Today's sessions don't really reveal our true standing: with an eye to the weather forecast, we opted to use our softs in FP1 rather than FP2. We're getting things ready, and the car felt better in the afternoon compared to the morning session. I reckon we need to find a few more tenths to be safe, but we'll find out tomorrow. I had a snap in turn one in FP1 but managed to keep damage to the minimum – that's Monaco. For the rest of the weekend, it’ll all come down to getting the car in the right window and the tyres to work. I am confident that, if I also find a bit more myself, we can be up there in the mix."