Downgrade Confirmed: Zhou Guanyu Surpasses Expectations with Old Chassis, Development Struggles!

At the Spanish Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu, the Alfa Romeo F1 driver, surprisingly showcased exceptional performance after switching back to an older chassis. His strong race pace propelled him up two spots to a familiar 13th place, while teammate Bottas struggled in his new-chassis car, being overtaken by four drivers and finishing in 16th.

The results seem to confirm the speculation of a “negative upgrade.” Although a tire strategy error was present, it doesn’t explain the unusual speed differential compared to his teammate. The newly developed car appears to have lost not only its maneuverability but also slightly underperformed compared to the start of the season. This raises questions about what exactly Sauber F1 has been working on for the past six months.

Post-race, Zhou shared, “I thought it was a decent race. I lost time at the start trying to overtake outside, but the grip wasn’t there and I almost spun, so down two places.”

Reflecting on the switch to the older chassis, he said, “The car’s pace was good. I didn’t expect to be competitive with Aston Martin. It feels much better than two weeks ago without any updates; that’s a positive. The old chassis gives me back control, better tuning, balance, and feedback. Let’s hope for more improvements in the future.”

It seems that after two major upgrades, Sauber provided their drivers with a car that, aside from minimal speed gains, has significantly increased handling difficulties. At Barcelona, Sauber managed to avoid a disaster due to errors from McLaren and AlphaTauri, and Williams’ usual lackluster performance on the track.

However, if their development continues to yield little improvement, they will likely struggle as other teams find their footing. Their pit stop issues at this event also signal potential problems. If these root causes aren’t addressed, they’ll risk becoming the only team without points this season and become the subject of ridicule once again.