Sauber, whose full name we remember is Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber revealed the 2024 single-seater in the evening, the C44 of Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou. The single-seater heir to the C43 officially greets the Alfa Romeo brand and the colors of the snake, and presents itself to the fans with a completely revised appearance, especially in the color combination in which, in addition to black, the main feature is the green. A notable departure from the past. On the other hand, the C44, it goes without saying, but it will necessarily have to do better than its bigger sisters, especially the C43 which finished ninth in the championship. Having ended its ties with Alfa Romeo at the end of the 2023 season, the Sauber group hopes to continue its development process as it awaits its long-awaited partnership with Audi in 2026.
A drastic change
Last season was far too disappointing for Sauber. In 2022 the team managed to finish in sixth position thanks to the 55 points achieved - 49 of which came from Valtteri Bottas. In 2023 the situation worsened, with only 16 points scored and ninth place in standings.
With its colors the C44 almost looks like a single-seater that comes from the future, alien. Arrived from a distant planet to save the destiny of humanity, or rather of Sauber, which with 2024 enters a rather delicate transition phase, which will end with the arrival of Audi in 2026 for the debut of the new engine regulations . Audi currently holds 25% of the shares, but will rise to 75% by the end of the year. Accompanying Sauber in these two years of transition will be Stake, which has taken over Alfa Romeo as title sponsor, and Kick, the live streaming platform that supports the Stake.com empire.
Designed by the new technical director James Key, ex McLaren, the C44 presents not only a change of look but also technical differences with different philosophies compared to the C43. Alunni Bravi, leading the team, underlined the importance of improving performance, with new technical solutions including a revised front suspension and a completely different monocoque.
The words of Alessandro Alunni Well done
Team Principal Alessandro Alunni Bravi and drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu spoke during the presentation. Both drivers hope that the new car can guarantee better performance and above all consistency over the course of the season. The words of the team principal on the eve of 2024:
“This year we want to be innovative, we want to be fresh. We have a new identity within the team, and we want to speak to customers and sponsors as the 'underdog'. We worked hard on every area of the car during the winter break and we are ready for Bahrain. We can't wait to see where we are.”
A challenge for everyone, even for the pilots
The pressure is also palpable on both drivers, especially Zhou, who must demonstrate a significant leap in quality to retain his seat in F1, considering Audi's upcoming entry into the Circus. There is in fact a long list of drivers who would have ended up under Audi's sights, one of them Carlos Sainz, whose future after 2024 is still uncertain. The competition is fierce, and the Chinese driver must necessarily prove his worth.
