Sauber, currently sitting last in the Constructors’ Championship with no points, is heading to the Hungarian Grand Prix with a mix of optimism and anticipation. The team’s last outing at the British GP was challenging, but they are hopeful about their prospects in Hungary.
Sauber Racing Director Xevi Pujolar discussed the team’s efforts to introduce new parts for the upcoming races.
“We’re working on a new package, let’s see when we can introduce that one. And hopefully that’s helping us to close the gap,” Pujolar said.
He confirmed that the updates would likely include components for the car’s floor, although he acknowledged the limitations by stating, “It’s never big enough.”
Reflecting on last year’s strong qualifying performance at the Hungaroring, where Zhou Guanyu secured P5 and Valtteri Bottas P7, Pujolar expressed cautious optimism.
“For sure it’s a track that last year was very good, at least one-timed lap. But now I would say everything is so close that it’s very difficult to predict,” he noted.
The Spaniard emphasized the unpredictable nature of the race conditions, including the potential for hot weather or rain. Nonetheless, he maintained a positive outlook.
“We go with optimism and let’s see what we can achieve. It would be nice to score some points before the shutdown, that for sure will change the mood of the team.”
The Spaniard is realistic about the team’s chances of scoring points before the summer break. Despite being last in the standings, the gaps between teams are minimal, and a small improvement could make a significant difference.
He cited Alpine as an example. They’ve gone from the slowest team to fighting for small points quite regularly in recent races.
“You could see, as I said before, where were the racing moves that were, probably you could see, leading this midfield. Then last race it was Alpine, this race it’s us, so let’s see.”
Pujolar admitted that the team still lags behind slightly, making it difficult to compete directly with the midfield pack.
Addressing the challenges faced by the team, Pujolar highlighted the close competition and the importance of car set-up and how they get the tyres working as hoped.
“I would say that all cars are quite close. For sure some cars are depending on the track layout, how you can set up the car and with the conditions. Also how you work with the tyres,” he explained.
