08/06/2024
NEWS STORY
Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber fought the conditions on a rain-affected Friday in Montreal, as track action for the Canadian Grand Prix started with two practice sessions.
Heavy rain limited much of the running in FP1, when an episode of aquaplaning saw Zhou Guanyu brush the wall. He and team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, were able to put in a few more meaningful laps in FP2 but, with the rain returning in the second half of the final session of the day, much preparation remains to be done in tomorrow's final practice session.
Valtteri Bottas: "It seems like we are in a better place compared to where we were in Monaco, which is obviously encouraging for the weekend ahead. Today's rain affected both sessions, meaning any time we'd go out on track it would be in different conditions and mounting different tyres: this made it trickier to get a detailed read of the car's behaviour and performance. Still, the feeling with the car is positive, and we managed to get a decent number of laps during FP2, gathering important data for us and the team back in Hinwil to work on overnight. With a variable weather forecast, it'll be important to fully trust the car tomorrow in qualifying, to push it to the limit no matter the conditions."
Zhou Guanyu: "It's great to be back racing in Montreal, even though it's been a tricky day for everyone out there. During FP1, I expected a bit more grip on the wet track, but I experienced aquaplaning and was lucky to save it just before touching the wall - so we were able to minimize the damage. The team did a great job getting the car ready for FP2, allowing us to run in both wet and dry conditions. Given the mixed conditions, however, it's difficult to say where we stand, but the car definitely feels much better than it did in Monaco. I'm looking forward to more racing tomorrow."