Photo: Race Pictures

'Bogey track' shows Sauber's 'Achilles heel': 'Good reminder for us'

07:44, 23 Sep

byKada Sarkozi

Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley believes the Baku Grand Prix was a 'good reminder' of where his team is in the midfield battle.

I think, honestly, these were the two (Monza and Baku) bogey tracks for us. I think we knew that coming here.

- Sauber team boss Jonathan Wheatley

Gabriel Bortoleto driving the Sauber car in Azerbaijan - Photo: Race Pictures

Sauber missed out on points at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix last Sunday, with Gabriel Bortoleto finishing eleventh.

Jonathan Wheatley, the team boss of the Hinwil-based squad, acknowledges that the conditions in Baku demonstrated their car's weaknesses.

"I think we came here thinking that the wind effect would be really powerful and we knew that that would be an Achilles heel for us," he began.

Despite Bortoleto managing to score points at the Italian Grand Prix, where he finished eighth, Wheatley viewed that as a weekend where he had expected his team to have difficulties as well.

"We were on the back of another race, which was a little bit challenging as well, but we over-performed, if you like, and I think today is just a good reminder of where we are in terms of overall performance.

"I think, honestly, these were the two (Monza and Baku, ed.) bogey tracks for us. I think we knew that coming here."

"Had it not been windy, I suspect we had a different performance over the course of the race weekend. I mean, Gabriel's last lap in Q2, you watch the onboard from him, he gets pushed off the track at Turn 16.

"Maybe he would have been close to Q3, and we would probably be having a different conversation.

"But I think ultimately, our competitors had better race pace and qualifying pace than us. So the midfield battle we're in, we've lost out to Racing Bulls, we had a very strong day, but we've kept Aston within our grasp," the former Red Bull sporting director added.

The midfield battle is heating up

With seven rounds to go in the current season, the midfield battle remains open in F1. Sauber is currently eighth in the standings with 55 points, trailing sixth-placed Racing Bulls by only 17.

With Carlos Sainz's podium, Williams managed to extend their lead in fifth place, having 101 points.

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