JULY 18, 2023

Audi plans on track despite Sauber slump

Sauber has entered a clear slump as the Swiss team prepares to be taken over by Audi in 2026.

Actually, things are not even rosy at VW-owned Audi, with the CEO Markus Duesmann - who made the call to enter Formula 1 - having been ousted.

No, it's still all on plan I believe, said Valtteri Bottas, who drives for the team that is currently called Alfa Romeo.

It's still obviously far away but I haven't actually heard anything else. So yeah, it should be all good, the Finn added.

On track, however, things are not good - with Alfa Romeo crashing to ninth in the constructors' championship last time out at Silverstone.

Solutions are being sought, said highly respected Blick correspondent Roger Benoit.

The sacking of technical director Jan Monchaux was the first reaction. What will be next? he wonders.

Car updates at the British GP appear to have been ineffective, with Bottas admitting that the team's rivals have taken big steps forward while Sauber flounders.

We are approaching halfway through the season and we haven't been able to move up the hierarchy, Bottas said. We expected to be better than last year.

Team engineering boss Xevi Pujolar thinks Alfa Romeo's 2023 car is already faster than Haas, who are ahead of the team in the standings, and Alpha Tauri - who are dead last.

I think the only difficulty is with Williams right now, he said. "There is only two points difference but they are very successful.

They were fighting with Ferrari and even Aston Martin at Silverstone, Pujolar said.

But we are convinced that between now and the summer break it is possible to overtake Haas and Williams. This is our goal.
(GMM)