Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber endured a frustrating but hard-fought weekend on the streets of Baku, leaving the Azerbaijan Grand Prix just outside the points. While Gabriel Bortoleto secured P11 in his first start at the tricky Caspian venue, Nico Hulkenberg finished down in 16th after a race marked by battles but little reward.
FRIDAY BUILDING A BASELINE
The weekend began positively for the team, with both cars completing two clean practice sessions. Bortoleto and Hulkenberg logged crucial laps on the notoriously unforgiving 6-km Baku City Circuit, where green asphalt and narrow walls punish even the smallest error. Their data-gathering runs gave engineers a baseline to refine setup for the challenges ahead.
SATURDAY RED FLAG CHAOS IN QUALIFYING
Qualifying was one of the wildest in recent memory. A record six red flags stretched the session to more than two hours. Sauber’s rookie Bortoleto rose to the occasion, advancing to Q2 and ultimately locking down P13 on the grid. Hulkenberg, however, clipped the barriers during his attempt and had to settle for P17. Rain in Q3 shuffled the order at the sharp end, setting the stage for a mixed-up grid and the potential for opportunity on Sunday.
SUNDAY MISSED OPPORTUNITY IN THE RACE
Once the lights went out, Sauber found itself in the thick of midfield combat but unable to convert promise into points. Bortoleto fought hard to finish just outside the top ten in P11, showing maturity in his Baku debut. Hulkenberg salvaged P16 after being caught in the mid-pack shuffle. “It was a weekend of small margins,” the team summarized, noting the lack of attrition or major shakeups that often define Baku’s races worked against their bid for points.
LOOKING AHEAD SINGAPORE & BEYOND
With the standalone Azerbaijan weekend now wrapped, Sauber turns its attention to Singapore’s night race in early October—another street circuit but with very different demands. For Bortoleto, the progress through qualifying and a near-points finish will be positives to build on; for Hulkenberg, a chance for redemption awaits under the Marina Bay floodlights.
BIGGER PICTURE BAKU SECURED THROUGH 2030
While Sauber came away empty-handed, Formula 1 confirmed a major development: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will remain on the calendar through 2030. Since its debut in 2016, the event has become a fan favorite thanks to its mix of historic old town corners, long straights, and frequent drama—seven different winners in eight editions testify to its unpredictability. With global audiences exceeding 66 million in 2024 and fans traveling from over 70 countries, the race has cemented itself as a modern F1 highlight.
For Sauber, the long-term commitment to Baku ensures more chances to unlock its chaotic magic—next time, hopefully with points on the board.
QUOTES
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal
“It’s been a very windy weekend here in Baku, and one that certainly tested our package. The circuit exposed some of the limitations of the C45, particularly in qualifying. However, in race trim, we started Sunday knowing we had a more competitive car for the midfield battle. Gabi fought hard in the pack, and Nico’s pace in the final stint was particularly strong. I think we delivered the maximum we could today – in a race where the wind affected the cars throughout and, with low attrition, there weren’t many chances to capitalise on.
“On a more positive note, the hydraulic issue from Monza was fully resolved thanks to the hard work from the team trackside and back at the factory. During the race, the pit crew did a great job; huge credit to everyone involved. This weekend showed that we’re still in the midfield fight – now it’s about translating that into points next time out.”
Nico Hulkenberg (Car #27)
Race result: 16th
Fastest lap: 1:45.002 (Lap 50)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Hard) – Lap 37 (New Medium)
“It was one of those races where things just didn’t fall into place. I always seemed to be on the wrong side of the timing, losing out here and there. The highlight was definitely the restart – 1 managed a nice double overtake into Turn 3, which was rewarding. But after that, I was stuck behind Franco [Colapinto] and Lance [Stroll] for most of the first stint. We lost a lot of time there, and that was really the make-or-break moment.
“The pace at the end was good, but by then the race had already slipped away from us – qualifying and the early laps left us with too much to recover. There weren’t many variables or opportunities to shake up the order today. It wasn’t our strongest weekend, but we’ll take the lessons on board and focus on executing better next time out.”
Gabriel Bortoleto (Car #5)
Race result: 11 th
Fastest lap: 1:44.930 (Lap 45)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Hard) – Lap 27 (Used Medium)
“It’s been an intense race, always near some other cars and very close to the walls at all times. I think we delivered everything that we had on the table today, with P11 being the maximum we could achieve: it’s been a bit of a tricky weekend overall of us, and I don’t think we would have had enough pace to fight higher up. Still, we kept pushing, managed to maximise what we had and took home some important learnings. Some weekends you can put up a fight, some you can’t as much, but that’s racing. Now, we turn our focus to Singapore in two weeks’ time.”
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