Sauber drivers Hulkenberg and Bortoleto came painfully close to Q2 in Suzuka as fierce competition left no room for error.
The Sauber team came heartbreakingly close to breaking into Q2 in a razor-thin qualifying session at the Japanese Grand Prix.
At one of the most demanding circuits in Formula 1, just one second separated the top 17 drivers in Q1—highlighting how fiercely competitive the field was on Saturday in Suzuka.
Nico Hulkenberg missed out on Q2 by a mere 0.016 seconds. A small slip late in his lap proved costly.
“The car’s been tricky all weekend, and even more so today. The wind completely shifted in Sector 1 compared to yesterday, which made the balance even harder to get right,” Hulkenberg explained.
“The midfield was always going to be tight, and it really was. I had a small snap coming out of Turn 9 and lost time—unfortunately, that’s what happens when you’re pushing to the limit. I also couldn’t get the tyres into the right window during the warm-up lap due to traffic and other cars on flying laps. Not ideal.”
Looking ahead, he added:
“There’s a chance of changing weather tomorrow, and if that happens, we’ll be ready to take our shot.”
For rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, Suzuka was unfamiliar territory—but he delivered an impressive performance, finishing just 0.052 seconds behind his experienced teammate.
“I missed Q2 by just a tenth, and honestly, I was happy with all my laps—no mistakes, just clean driving,” Bortoleto said.
“I ended up really close to Nico, which is positive considering his pace and experience. Now we can dig into the data and look for ways to improve together.”
“We thought about tweaking the setup for the final run, but played it safe and stuck with what we had. Overall, I’m pleased with my performance and the team’s effort all weekend. I’m ready for the race.”
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Sauber Fall Short in Suzuka Thriller by Tiny Margins
Sauber Fall Short in Suzuka Thriller by Tiny Margins