FRIDAY PRACTICE DATA GATHERING AMID THE CHAOS
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber opened its Singapore campaign on the demanding 4.94 km Marina Bay Street Circuit, with both Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto logging critical mileage amid chaotic conditions. Two red flags and several yellow flag interruptions made for a fragmented FP2, cutting into valuable setup time.
Still, the team’s engineers gathered a robust data set from FP1, focusing on cooling management, traction balance, and tyre behavior across the soft compounds—key areas for a circuit notorious for its heat and low-speed grip demands. Despite the disrupted running, both drivers reported steady progress, laying the groundwork for a more competitive showing under the lights in qualifying.
SATURDAY QUALIFYING MARGINS MEASURED IN HUNDREDTHS
When the sun went down and the floodlights came up, Sauber showed genuine one-lap pace. Hülkenberg demonstrated his trademark precision, hustling his C44 to P11, narrowly missing out on Q3 by just 0.065 seconds—the equivalent of a blink between turns 18 and 19.
For Bortoleto, the session proved more frustrating. His final flying lap was interrupted by a late yellow flag, halting what looked to be a Q2-worthy effort. He settled for P16, though his pace across the weekend continued to draw attention for its maturity and consistency.
As Sauber’s team principal remarked after the session, “We were right on the cusp today. The car was alive on the limit—one clear lap and we’d have been in Q3. That shows we’re moving in the right direction.”
SUNDAY RACE STRATEGY STALLED BY STREET CIRCUIT REALITIES
Sunday’s Grand Prix tested both man and machine in true Singapore fashion. A messy start saw Bortoleto tagged at Turn 1, forcing an early stop for a new front wing and dropping the Brazilian to the back of the field. From there, both he and Hülkenberg became trapped in the tight rhythm of Marina Bay’s infamous DRS trains—unable to break free on a circuit that punishes even small deficits in traction or straight-line performance.
With limited overtaking opportunities and no major safety car interventions to shake up the order, progress was minimal. Bortoleto ultimately salvaged P17, with Hülkenberg classified P20, both bringing their cars home cleanly despite the relentless demands of Singapore’s 62 laps and 31 corners.
Behind the finishing positions, however, there were still positives. Sauber’s updated cooling package and revised rear suspension geometry continued to show promise in managing tyre degradation—an area that will prove vital in upcoming rounds.
QUOTES
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal
“First of all I would like to congratulate McLaren on defending their title. For us, it was an incredibly frustrating race where very little went our way. Starting from P11, I genuinely believe we had the potential to score points today, and we shouldn’t shy away from that. With no safety cars, the race unfolded without many of the usual variables here in Singapore, and not a lot of opportunities. We’ll thoroughly review to make sure we learn from this weekend and take any lessons forward. That’s racing: the great thing about Formula One is that we get to race again in just two weeks.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Car #27
Race result: 20th
Fastest lap: 1:35.404 (Lap 47)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Medium) – Lap 26 (New Hard) – Lap 45 (New Soft)
“It wasn’t our day today. Without track position it’s always tough for us, especially on a street circuit like this where overtaking is nearly impossible unless you’ve got a big tyre advantage. In the end, when I got close to Franco [Colapinto], he braked quite early – a bit of a surprise – and I lost a lot of rear downforce, which caused a big lock-up and the spin. We’ll have to review the strategy, but overall, we didn’t quite have the pace this weekend. Still, even on tough days like this, there’s always something to learn and take things forward into the next races.”
Gabriel Bortoleto, Car #5
Race result: 17th
Fastest lap: 1:37.126 (Lap 16)
Strategy & Pit Stops: Start (New Medium) – Lap 14 (New Hard)
“It definitely wasn’t the best race for us today. I picked up some damage on lap one after contact in Turn One — we went three-wide and unfortunately touched and broke the front wing. This forced us to pit to change it, which cost us some time, and from then on it was always going to be a difficult race. Our pace wasn’t the strongest and, once we fell behind Colapinto, we knew it would be hard to get back past — overtaking here is extremely difficult. I spent most of the race stuck behind him, which also allowed others to close in. Overall, it was just one of those days where things didn’t quite go our way. Still, we’ll take the positives from the weekend, learn what we can, and move on. The team keeps working really hard, both here and at HQ, and we’re all determined to get back to scoring points.”
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