Kick Sauber C44 Explained

The Kick Sauber C44 is a Formula One car designed and constructed by Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber to compete in the 2024 Formula One World Championship. The car is driven by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, both in their third and final year with the team. It is the first Sauber-badged Formula One car since the Sauber C37 in . Although featuring significant design differences to its predecessor, the Alfa Romeo C43, and despite numerous upgrades being introduced throughout the season, the C44 has exhibited consistently poor performance and reliability, and Kick Sauber is currently last in the World Constructors' Championship standings. Having not scored points for a majority of the season, Zhou scored the team's maiden points at the Qatar Grand Prix. As of the Qatar Grand Prix, it has scored 4 points, with its highest finish so far being an 8th place finish by Zhou at Qatar.

Background

Development context

The Kick Sauber C44 is the first car to be fielded by Kick Sauber since the end of their partnership with Alfa Romeo in 2023.

The C44's design began under Jan Monchaux, but he was replaced by James Key in August 2023.[1]

Initial design

Key said the C44 was "virtually a completely new car", sharing only some areas at its rear with its predecessor, the Alfa Romeo C43.[2] As with its predecessors, the C44 uses a Ferrari power unit and transmission, with the latter housed in a Sauber-designed and -manufactured casing.

At launch, the C44 exhibited a shift towards Red Bull's design philosophy, featuring pull-rod front suspension (a design also used by McLaren, where it was introduced by Key on the MCL36),[3] a downwards-sloping sidepod, and squared off radiator inlets.[4] Regulation changes regarding roll hoops led Sauber to adopt the conventional A-shaped design, one that had not previously used.[5]

Livery

The departure of Alfa Romeo as a title sponsor and the adoption of Stake and Kick as title sponsors led to a new fluorescent green and black livery.[6] The Stake logos are replaced by Kick's in countries where gambling sponsorships are outlawed.[7]

Competition and development history

Pre-season

The C44 was run for a filming day at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya before the official pre-season test at Bahrain International Circuit.

Opening rounds

A new front wing was introduced to the C44 at the Australian Grand Prix.[8]

At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Sauber introduced a new floor that was both lighter and featured longer fences, with the goal of increasing downforce generated by the ground effect.[9]

Mid-season rounds

A new rear wing was introduced at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Sauber introduced new rear and beam wings for the Canadian Grand Prix, the former a refined version of that introduced in Monaco.[10]

Zhou reverted to an early-season chassis for the Spanish Grand Prix, although the team was uncertain if his issues were related to a defect with the chassis or if its upgrades were underperforming.[11]

Closing rounds

A new floor was fitted to the car at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, intended to direct the development of the team's 2025 car.[12]

Assessment and characteristics

The C44 exhibited poor tyre management early in the season, struggling to efficiently heat them in both qualifying and race settings.[13] When asked if the car struggled from a lack of rear-end grip, Zhou replied "It is everywhere, to be honest, just four-wheel sliding [...] we are just lacking grip."[14]

Audi, who purchased Sauber to transition it into its own Formula One team in, said the C44's performance was unacceptably poor.[15]

Jake Boxall-Legge, writing for Autosport, claimed that the C44's poor performance was the result of Audi's fixation on its 2026 entry and neglect of Sauber since the team did not carry the Audi name.[16] Boxall-Legge said the C44 had started the 2024 season reasonably competitive and had numerous opportunities to score points, but these opportunities were squandered by repeated pit stop errors, and the car became less competitive as its rivals improved.

Complete Formula One results

YearEntrantEngineTyresDriversGrands PrixPointsWCC
BHRSAUAUSJPNCHNMIAEMIMONCANESPAUTGBRHUNBELNEDITAAZESINUSAMXCSAPLVGQATABU
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber

rowspan="2" *
Zhou Guanyu
Source:

* Season still in progress.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hughes . Mark . Mark Hughes (journalist) . 2024-02-06 . How Kick Sauber's C44 moves towards a Red Bull philosophy . 2024-09-23 . Formula1.com . . en . 5 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240705082141/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/tech-analysis-how-kick-saubers-c44-moves-further-than-ever-towards-a-red.7DsHOA1B2VezuuQnwVTrgt . live .
  2. Web site: Mitchell-Malm . Scott . 2024-02-05 . Sauber reveals 2024 F1 car with striking new Stake livery . 2024-09-23 . The Race . en . 29 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240229021636/https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/sauber-stake-reveals-2024-f1-car-livery/ . live .
  3. Web site: Anderson . Gary . Gary Anderson (motorsport) . 2024-02-05 . Gary Anderson on 2024 Sauber + where it must convince Audi . 2024-09-23 . The Race . en . 25 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225061836/https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary-anderson-verdict-sauber-stake-2024-f1-car/ . live .
  4. Web site: Somerfield . Matt . 2024-02-06 . Can Sauber's new-look F1 challenger keep it off the back row? . 2024-09-23 . . . 23 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240923143810/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/stake-sauber-new-look-f1-challenger-tech/10572747/ . live .
  5. Web site: Filisetti . Paolo . 2024-02-06 . Stake Sauber drawing on Red Bull RB19 lessons with new C44 . 2024-09-23 . RacingNews365 . en . 23 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240923143812/https://racingnews365.com/stake-sauber-drawing-on-red-bull-rb19-lessons-with-new-c44 . live .
  6. Web site: Cooper . Adam . 2024-02-06 . Sauber F1 team reveals dramatic new look on C44 . 2024-09-23 . . . 6 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206222446/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/sauber-f1-team-reveals-dramatic-new-look-c44/10572635/ . live .
  7. Web site: In countries where advertisement of gambling and sports betting is disallowed, @Stake will be replaced by @KickStreaming - both in the @alfaromeoorlen team name and logo. Where both Stake and Kick are disallowed, just the Alfa Romeo F1 Team logo will be featured. . 29 March 2023 . Twitter . en.
  8. Web site: Hughes . Mark . Mark Hughes (journalist) . Piola . Giorgio . Giorgio Piola . 2024-03-26 . How Ferrari, Aston Martin and Kick Sauber initiated the 2024 development race in Australia . 2024-09-23 . Formula1.com . . en . 23 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240923143810/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/tech-weekly-how-ferrari-aston-martin-and-kick-sauber-initiated-the-2024.1Y3MJ0m0aYrdZrs7JUV3M1 . live .
  9. Web site: Hughes . Mark . Mark Hughes (journalist) . Piola . Giorgio . Giorgio Piola . 2024-06-04 . Why Kick Sauber's upgrades could show their full potential in Canada . registration . 2024-09-23 . Formula1.com . . en . 26 August 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240826074605/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/tech-weekly-why-kick-saubers-upgrades-could-show-their-full-potential-in.612XxEefk8mV4OzKN880jx . live .
  10. Web site: Somerfield . Matt . Piola . Giorgio . Giorgio Piola . 2024-06-08 . F1 Canadian GP: New updates from Mercedes, Red Bull explained . 2024-09-23 . . Motorsport Network.
  11. Web site: Kalinauckas . Alex . 2024-06-20 . Zhou returns to early 2024 Sauber F1 chassis, hopes it cures recent struggles . 2024-09-23 . . Motorsport Network.
  12. Web site: Codling . Stuart . 2024-12-01 . Bottas: It’s “ironic” that Sauber F1 improvement has come so late . 2024-12-04 . . . en.
  13. Web site: Cooper . Adam . 2024-03-13 . Bottas: Struggling Sauber F1 team needed Jeddah "wake-up call" . 2024-09-23 . . . 23 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240923143917/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/bottas-struggling-sauber-f1-team-needed-jeddah-wake-up-call/10586877/ . live .
  14. Web site: Gale . Ewan . 2024-06-14 . Bottas: Sauber fix for F1 struggles "not rocket science" . 2024-09-23 . . . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615173033/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/bottas-sauber-fix-for-f1-struggles-not-rocket-science/10622604/ . live .
  15. Web site: Noble . Jonathan . 2024-09-01 . Audi admits it "cannot accept" Sauber's current F1 performances . 2024-09-23 . . . 9 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240909092731/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/audi-admits-it-cannot-accept-saubers-current-f1-performances/10650122/ . live .
  16. Web site: Boxall-Legge . Jake . 2024-10-08 . Will Sauber's C44 go down as F1's best point-less car, or are there better contenders? . subscription . 2024-10-12 . . Motorsport Network.

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