Both Sauber drivers failed to reach Q2 in Jeddah, with Hülkenberg’s lock-up and Bortoleto’s spin proving decisive.
Tough Qualifying for the Team in Jeddah: Hülkenberg P18, Bortoleto to Start Last
It was a rough Saturday for Sauber at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with both drivers facing setbacks in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Nico Hülkenberg will start 18th on the grid, while his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto lines up in 20th and last after a messy session for the team.
Hülkenberg was on track to reach Q2 but locked up into Turn 1 on his final flying lap in Q1, ultimately dropping from 14th to 18th just before the session ended.
“This wasn’t the qualifying we hoped for,” Hülkenberg admitted. “I locked the front wheel going into Turn 1 on my final lap and ran wide. I really believe Q2 was possible today – the margins are so tight, everything needs to be perfect. The lock-up was a bit strange. I even braked earlier than before because I felt the front tyres weren’t fully ready. Still, I didn’t get the bite or braking I expected. The starting position isn’t great, but we’ll give it everything in the race and try to make something happen with a smart strategy and maybe a bit of action on track.”
Bortoleto also had a frustrating outing. His second run was interrupted when he picked up a plastic bag, forcing an unplanned pit stop. Then, during his final push lap, he spun at Turn 1 while trying to capitalize on a tow from Max Verstappen.
“First off, I want to thank the team for their hard work – changing the chassis and getting the car ready in time today wasn’t easy,” Bortoleto said. “But the session didn’t go the way I wanted. After a decent first lap, the second was ruined by a plastic bag stuck on the car, and the third ended with a spin. I was a bit too ambitious trying to follow Max’s slipstream and missed my braking point. We’re pushing to the limit to reach Q2, but I made a mistake today. Missing FP2 and the long runs yesterday didn’t help either. Tomorrow will likely be tough, but we’ll go all in and try to learn as much as we can about the car’s behavior in race conditions.”
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Sauber’s Jeddah hopes sink after double Q1 heartbreak
Sauber’s Jeddah hopes sink after double Q1 heartbreak
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