F1 driver fears showing ‘frustration’ as team ‘not giving 100%’

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Valtteri Bottas has admitted that he fears showing ‘frustration’ at Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber as their mechanics do not always ‘give 100%’ amid a tough start to their year.

The Hinwil, Switzerland natives are one of three teams still yet to score a point after the first three rounds. Sauber have also endured nightmares during some pit stops each race. Bottas has suffered two slow stops and Zhou Guanyu had one owing to repeat wheel nut problems.

Only Alpine have also had a worse start to the 2024 season than Sauber thanks to the P11 in the Bahrain GP that Zhou secured. Bottas achieved his best result of the year last time out in the Australian GP with P14. The Finn finished P19 in Sakhir and P17 in the Saudi Arabian GP.

Cross-threaded wheel nuts have ruined Sauber’s pit stops for Bottas and Zhou in 2024

Sauber are working hard to try and resolve their wheel nut issues that have caused repeated problems at their pit stops. The Swiss squad also implemented measures to try and limit the likelihood of another issue in Melbourne. But Bottas still had a 46.969 second stop on Lap 8.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

Bottas’ pit stop even drew a €5,000 (£4k) fine from the FIA as Sauber’s wheel nut went into the fast lane. It followed the 34-year-old enduring a 1:14.773 stop in Bahrain, while 24-year-old Zhou had a 46.381 second stop in Saudi Arabia. Bottas has called the issues ‘frustrating’.

Bottas admits Stake F1 Team’s mechanics do not ‘give 100%’ when their heads drop

But no matter how much Bottas grows weary with Sauber’s pit stop issues, he realises that the Nastola native cannot take his frustrations out on the team. Bottas can see some of the Swiss squad’s mechanics do not offer everything they could when their heads start to drop.

“I feel like my role nowadays is more than just to drive the car,” Bottas told RacingNews365. “It’s also trying to keep up the team spirit and motivate people when they start to feel a bit down, and almost like not giving up, but not giving 100% anymore.

“So, I think that needs to be my role, as well, and if I start to show signs of frustration, that’s going to expand. So, I need to stay up there, motivated and always keep giving everything.”

Sauber will, no doubt, hope to get on top of their cross-threaded wheel nut woes before the Japanese GP. Formula 1 returns to Suzuka next weekend after moving the race forward from its previous September slot. Bottas retired from the meet in 2023 and Zhou finished in P13.