Alfa-Sauber needs desert luck again

It’s nervousness and fear for your own performance, but also the joy that it’s finally going to start. Predictions have been made everywhere. With the Hinwilers, the experts vary between fifth and eighth place in the World Cup. Watch type: 6.

The golden nine points

The good morale in the team, which is always preached at Alfa-Sauber even in the greatest crisis, would require a miracle start like 2022 on Sunday from 4 p.m. CET (TV-Live).

The then nine (rather lucky) points (6th Bottas, 10th Zhou) let the team breathe a sigh of relief and helped them through the first nine races. Then came the hammer in the last 13 World Cup races – just four points! Less than any other team.

Bottas in the third row

Sixth place in the world championship (tied with Aston Martin) was almost a sensation. And 2023? The Swiss team has now lost the ideal weight advantage. A year ago, Finn Bottas (33) managed to place the C42 here in the desert behind Leclerc, Verstappen, Sainz, Pérez and Hamilton on the third row. The Chinese Zhou (23) started his career from 15th place on the grid.

Red carpet for Ferrari

Both drivers then needed the bad luck of Verstappen and Pérez in the Red Bull Honda, which was not their fault, for the good result. At that point, the British started 20 kilos overweight, usually driving behind the Ferraris, who celebrated a double victory (Leclerc ahead of Sainz). But three laps from the end, both bull cars in the leading group gave up with the same defect: fuel supply.

Bull out for 200 grams

Only later did Red Bull admit that the tanks of both cars had been slightly modified to save 200 grams of weight! Without this drama Alfa-Sauber would have started the new season with only four championship points (8th Bottas).

Source : Blick