Wheelnut issues plagued Sauber in the initial three races of 2024.
Sauber’s head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar has said they have new hardware to help them address their F1 pit stop issues this season.
Sauber faced significant struggles in the pit lane at the start of the season, encountering cross-threaded wheelnuts in the first three races. This issue greatly hampered their cars’ performance during races.
Sauber have new F1 hardware to help solve major pit stop issues
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
These issues in the pit lane saw Valtteri Bottas stuck in his pit box for almost 30 seconds in the Australian Grand Prix, costing him what was a likely points finish at that stage, after suffering a similar problem in Bahrain and Zhou Guanyu bearing the brunt of it in Saudi Arabia.
While their stops have steadily improved over the course of the season so far, Sauber have yet to trouble the fastest pit stop standings for 2024 – not yet claiming a point in the sponsor-run World Championship for a stop that makes the top 10 quickest in a race.
Pujolar clarified that their aim is to reduce their average time in the pit lane and enhance their performance in a critical aspect by incorporating new parts.
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Pujolar, including PlanetF1.com in the media, confirmed that the first part of the hardware update had taken place here, and anticipated further updates in the future.
“It’s a positive development that we can once again engage in competitive battles at the pit stops and successfully defend our positions. This is encouraging for our team. Additionally, we implemented a floor upgrade, which proved to be a significant advancement and met our expectations.”
It is evident that all individuals were introducing fresh components, and certain rivals are making progress. Therefore, we must persistently exert ourselves and narrow the distance.
Pujolar was cautious when questioned about the new hardware providing complete security to the pit crew in the pit lane. However, he expressed his desire for Sauber to be able to compete at the higher end of the grid during tyre changes.
He responded, “In this business, I believe that being completely certain is not always possible, but we strive to improve ourselves every time. I consider it a positive step.”
“Now that we have gained more confidence, we are ready to strive for better performance. Our goal is not just to ensure safety during pit stops, but to become the best in pit stop performance. This will also empower our crew to push themselves further.”
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