Stake F1's Double SQ1 Elimination Shifts Focus to Race

After both drivers exited early in SQ1, Stake F1 shifts focus to strategic race preparations for Sunday.

Both Stake F1 drivers were eliminated in SQ1 during the Sprint Shootout, the qualifiers for tomorrow’s Sprint race in Miami. Valtteri Bottas is frustrated with his 17th place and lost additional time after impeding a McLaren, forcing him off the track and disrupting his momentum.

“We made significant changes to the balance before the Sprint qualifiers, the car was very different, and so was the track. I was sliding a lot and had a lot of traffic. With the McLaren, I had to go off-track, and I never managed to get the tires back in condition,” Bottas stated.

The Finn mainly wants to use the Sprint to prepare for Sunday’s race: “The starting position for the Sprint isn’t good, but we can learn from the car, and the priority will be the car’s performance for Sunday’s race, the weekend is just beginning.”

His teammate Guanyu Zhou finished 18th and struggled to find grip: “Unfortunately, we were already having difficulties this morning. We made changes to the car, fixed some issues but then faced others with the balance. I’m struggling with grip, we need to see what we can do later to find the missing tenths to advance to SQ2.”

He also sets cautious goals for the Sprint, focusing mainly on the race: “It will be about learning the process, working on long runs for Sunday. Unfortunately, only the top 8 score points so it won’t be enough as we lack pace, but I’m confident we can make a step forward.”