Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley has explained the subtle tweaks behind major F1 improvement.

The much-maligned team were bottom of the constructors’ championship last year, and wa🌸ited until the 23rd 🐻grand prix for their first point.

But now with ex-Red Bu🐭ll chief Wheatley as their team principal there are obvious signs of growth.

168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Nico Hulkenberg’s brilliant P5 finish last weekend at the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, from 15th on the🐭 grid, was their best result since Valtteri Bottas three years ago at Imola.

Hulkenberg even overtoo🧸k Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton 🐓to underline his incredible drive.

Wheatley also noted how their pitstops - which blighted the⛦m lastꦇ season - have become quicker.

“As a team ♔we performed at the highest level,” Wheꩲatley told the F1 Nation podcast in Barcelona.

“I was so impressed with our communication, conversations with the factory, the💃 strategies, the car had pace across both tyre types. Nico has a point to prove after qualifying!

“It’s great to be motor racing again and to be genuinely competitiv𓆉e.

“I thought ✅we had a pretty solid car in q🐟ualifying, both drivers were capable of getting into Q2. Nico just didn’t do that. To do that at this track? It’s an aero track. It’s hugely encouraging.

“It delivered what our tools said it would. I sit here tonight like w♑e’re on the right track.

“I’ve🧔 been here eight weeks an🐓d done seven races, like your feet don’t touch the ground!

“I’ve tried to listen to people and understand how we’ve 🌼🍰got here.

“I am starting to get a good feel for what we can𝄹 do. We have changed a few things about how we communicate. I feel that we’re in the right direction.

“Pit stops are a mani💃festation of team spirit. So, to do a 2.1s pit 🤪stop… I am very proud.

“It was strange to see us chasing two Ferraris!”

More F1 joy for Sauber predicted as new package looms

Sauber named a new-look driver partnership this season, pairing veteran Hulkenberg with rookie 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Gabriel Bortoleto.

Brazilian journalist&nbﷺsp;Julianne Cerasoli provided insight into Bortoleto: “He is loving the car. He says it is much better in traffic which was a problem in the first few races.

“They have a lot more usable downforce. They went to make the car more dri🦄vable, not to add more downforce. It is more predictable.

“Think about Sauber - they went through a very difficꦅuꦛlt year, moving from Sauber to Audi management.

“Their last packag❀e, at the end of 2024, worked well when Guanyu Zhou got points.

“They are coming from very low positions 😼but they were a bit better🤪, in the mix for Q1 and some Q2s.

“This package [in Spain] worked and they will have another before the summer break so it’s looking good for th🌃em.”

Jesús Balseiro added to the F1 Nation podcast: “Normally you see good results from the mid♒field teams and there are Safety C⛦ars, rain or crashes.

“The thing we have in mind is Hulkenbe꧟rg overtaking Hamilton in a Ferrari!

“It’s exciting to see t🐼he cars at the en♑d of the grid doing good results.

“Everybody believeꩵs that Barcelona is a ref🉐erence track. They did really good so they can have a good summer.”