Bottas: Everyone in the team is working on improving the car

Sauber have not scored any points through 12 rounds of the season. Before the Hungarian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou said the team had been working hard recently to eliminate the car’s weaknesses.

Valtteri Bottas: “We definitely needed a break after a solid run of stages. Now I’m looking forward to the last two races before the summer break.

Budapest is a great city, located quite close to the highway. Traditionally this is a kind of home race for the Finnish fans, so I will be supported in the stands.

Overtaking in Hungary is quite difficult as it is a twisty, old-fashioned circuit, with only a few overtaking spots, qualifying is crucial.

In previous races we had not lived up to our own expectations, so during the break between the triple and double stages we worked hard to analyse the problems that arose. Everyone at the circuit and at the grassroots is working tirelessly to improve the car and we hope to take a step in the right direction at the Hungaroring.”

Guanyu Zhou: “It’s great to be back in Hungary after a short break. I have fond memories of last year’s qualifying, when we took fifth and seventh place at the start. Although the race didn’t go well, it could still be a good sign for this year’s race. I hope we can achieve another strong result in qualifying, because overtaking is almost as difficult on this circuit as in Monaco.

On the track, high downforce settings are required, the physical demands on the driver are high and there is almost no opportunity to catch your breath. Getting into a rhythm is crucial to perform at your best.

The team is working hard to solve the issues with the car that prevented us from getting closer to the top ten and fighting for points. Now it’s time to beat the Hungarian heat and get back into contention.”