Valtteri Bottas has highlighted that “progress” at Alfa Romeo has been subdued of late.
During the previous season, with the introduction of the new ‘ground effect’ rules, the Swiss outfit seemed to gain a leg up by adhering closer to the minimum weight compared to several rivals.
“We overperformed and were much better than expected,” Finn Bottas, 34, admitted to motorsport-magazin.com.
However, in the time that followed, with the squad looking to phase out its Alfa Romeo identity and evolve towards a comprehensive collaboration with Audi by 2026, advancements seem to have hit a plateau.
“We started very well last year, but since then we have made absolutely no progress,” Bottas is quoted as saying by the Swiss publication Blick.
“It hasn’t been as good as we expected. Or as I had hoped. The Singapore upgrade also turned out to not help.”
In a significant move earlier this year, Sauber opted to part ways with Jan Monchaux, ushering in McLaren’s James Key to steer the technical division.
Yet, for Bottas, there’s a palpable need for expanding the team.
“The fact is that most teams have more people and budget, so we still have to improve on that,” said the Finn, drawing attention to the workforce numbering around 600 at Hinwil.
Anticipations are high regarding the addition of more hands in the upcoming years, especially as they prime themselves to emerge as the official Audi works team.
“I heard Audi is going to be pretty strong in ’26. That’s the rumour,” Bottas conveyed with a light-hearted demeanor.
“It’s still a bit far away but in the end, it will come quick and at least for Sauber, there’s a clear plan for what’s happening and lots of work has already been done for sure.
“I’m not concerned that we don’t have the resources. There’s been a bit of restructuring of the team happening lately which will hopefully show a bit more next year,” he said.
