Nasty crash in Jeddah: who will stop this Sauber debacle?

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 iQNQmc”>

It is and remains – to use school language – a punishing task to report on the Kick-Sauber team in 2024. That sounds very brutal. But it is unfortunately the truth after Bahrain and now in Saudi Arabia. The Hinwil team crashed heavily: 17th Bottas, 18th Zhou. Behind us we only find the two failure victims: Stroll and Gasly.

In Bahrain, Zhou was at least able to get a taste of the final World Cup run – and 11th place was a well-deserved reward. Now the Chinese were riding around the coveted 10th place from the start. But no chance. Because he was one of four drivers who didn’t change the rubber during the safety car on the 7th of 50 laps (walking crash) almost for free and lost the medium.

Hoping for a new safety car phase

Eight laps before the end – they were probably constantly hoping for a new safety car phase – Zhou was brought in as the last driver of the quartet. And he logically fell from 11th to 18th and last place. Seven seconds behind teammate Bottas.

What a sad picture. Bottas, who, alongside Ferrari shocker Bearman (7th), was the only one to start on the soft tires, was again unable to move and battled with Ricciardo for the last place for a long time. Then the Finn – the only one in the field (!) – changed the rubber for the second time. So he stayed for Zhou.

CEO Seidl must finally take responsibility

The balance should again raise a whole series of questions for the new 100 percent owner Audi. What can be changed and improved as quickly as possible with a view to 2026? CEO Seidl must finally go to the front and take responsibility. And the German should throw the endless and unspeakable Hinwiler catalog of excuses into the trash. The fans can no longer hear why something always goes wrong.

Conclusion: Either the C44 is too slow, or the two drivers are too slow!

Source : Blick