The Sauber Formula 1 team debuted the C44 with a striking new look during a presentation event in London. For their first season, the Swiss team debuted a striking fluo green and black livery with Stake serving as the only title sponsor, taking advantage of the two-year window between the Alfa Romeo arrangement and the impending shift to full Audi works brand in 2026. According to team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the next three years will be crucial in laying the groundwork for the team to grow from being a lower-midfield competitor to a powerful force that can meet Audi's lofty aim of becoming very competitive in the next three years. The main goal at this time is to establish strategies that will help you become a dominant force in Formula 1 without any hitches. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will test the C44 during a filming day in Barcelona on Friday. This is in preparation for the official F1 test in Bahrain on February 21-23.
Technical director James Key joined the team in September, while the project was already underway, but this current vehicle is the first to showcase his collaborative work. A departure from the push-rod to the pull-rod front suspension—a setup previously used by Red Bull and McLaren—and an "aggressively redesigned" aerodynamic package are features of the C44. Getting an aerodynamic edge for the squad is the main goal of this modification.
F1: Kick Sauber 2024 Car
With a plethora of new features and improvements, the Swiss manufacturer claims the C44 is a radical break from its predecessor. The change from a push-rod to a pull-rod suspension is among the most noticeable changes. Notable changes include reworked side pods, a modernised engine cover, and a rethought floor, an area of paramount importance for improving pure lap time performance. The crew goes on to say that the car will have "some important updates" in the first few races of the season.
For the third year in a row, the Sauber-managed team will keep Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu as their drivers, ensuring continuity in the lineup.
Technical Director James Key said: “The C44 is virtually a completely new car, with a few carry-over areas at the rear of the car. The team had to take an ambitious direction well before I joined: there are many mechanical changes, some of which you can't see at all, but some are very visible. The front suspension is completely new, a tough and ambitious project for a team of our size. There are many aerodynamic changes, too, as would be expected given that this remains the primary area of development – so, overall, the car will really look quite different to last year's car. We took a lot of new, exciting directions, all of which appear to hold quite a bit of potential, so we're looking forward to seeing them on track.”
Our Black and Green Machine
The C44 has officially landed pic.twitter.com/IkjKxUyDvm
— Stake F1 Team (@stakef1team) February 5, 2024
Valtteri Bottas said: “The new C44 definitely feels different, both in terms of looks and of what we can expect from the car. We need to perform as a team and extract the most out of this package, which has some impressive potential – nothing else matters. Personally speaking, going into third season together with a team, the objectives need to be lofty. My own expectations are high, we definitely need to make a good step and see good progress from last year, a season in which, in all honesty, we didn't meet the targets that we set for ourselves. We need to fix that now, we need to step up our game and do better, but I have seen some real enthusiasm back in Hinwil and I am confident we can do it."
Zhou Guanyu said: “First, you know, you can't miss the colour! It's a very exciting new approach, especially in Formula One. And then from my side, of course, we're hoping to be a fast one. We've been putting in a lot of effort since the last season, especially in the second half of the year, after the summer break, just to make sure that we understood exactly where we had to improve as a team and what the plan for the guys back in the factory would be for the winter: now is the time to put everything together and get the car on track."
On Friday, while it is being tested in Barcelona, the C44 will make its first track appearance. In the days leading up to the season opener, the squad will head to Bahrain for an extensive preseason testing session lasting three days.
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