In a turn of events at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu of Sauber will be starting the race from the pitlane due to parc ferme changes made to their cars.
Saturday’s qualifying session in Montreal was disappointing for Sauber. Bottas managed to secure 17th place, narrowly missing the cut for Q2. His teammate, Zhou, wasn’t as fortunate, ending up 20th. Zhou’s struggle stemmed from a lack of running in FP1 and a collision with the wall in FP3, which set him back for qualifying.
Given their already low starting positions and the mixed weather conditions expected for the race, Sauber decided to make changes to their cars under parc ferme rules. The team opted to switch both cars to an older rear wing specification. This decision, however, forces Bottas and Zhou to start from the pitlane.
Sauber had introduced a new rear wing this weekend designed for the low-drag needs of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Unfortunately, they’ve now switched back to an older design. Additionally, Bottas’ car received a third energy store and a third set of control electronics, surpassing the season’s limit of two components. Normally this would incur a grid penalty, but since they’re starting from the pitlane, this penalty is now void.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, a representative for the Sauber team, commented on their performance, saying, ‘Qualifying confirms that we are lacking performance in the single lap. We have already seen in the last races that our main competitors took a step forward, pushing us to the bottom of the midfield in terms of qualifying pace. The race will be once again difficult for us, and we must maximise every opportunity that may arise. We have previously shown that we can deliver a better race pace, but we can’t hide the fact that it’s another difficult weekend for us. Still, we’ll do our best to improve our position.’
This season has been tough for Sauber, as they transition to becoming the Audi factory team in 2026. They are currently at the bottom of the constructors’ standings with no points on the board.
As Bottas and Zhou prepare to start from the pitlane, Sauber faces yet another challenging weekend. With hopes of maximizing every opportunity, the team will strive to improve their standing in the race.
Source: Motorsport
