Jacques Villeneuve Criticizes Sauber F1 Team for Lack of Effort

1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has expressed his disappointment with his former team Sauber, stating that they are “not even trying to be competitive” ahead of Audi’s arrival in 2026.

Sauber is currently the only team on the 2024 F1 grid without any points. The team often finishes lower in the race, with drivers Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Chou frequently qualifying in 19th and 20th place, respectively.

Despite a promising start to the season, pit problems have consistently hindered Bottas’ chances of scoring points. As the development race progressed, Sauber dropped to the back of the grid, significantly behind Alpine and Williams.

From 2026, Audi will take over the Sauber F1 Team and become a fully-fledged works team. However, Villeneuve, who previously drove for the team during his time at BMW, was not hesitant in criticizing them ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

“The interesting thing about Sauber is that they are almost always last in qualifying and in the race. However, if you look at the times, the grid is very close, only a second or a second and a half from pole position,” Villeneuve explained.

“So it’s not that F1 cars are bad, it’s just compared to other teams. In the 90s, even the last driver would have been happy if he was five seconds behind.”

“But they only survive until Audi arrives. They don’t look like they’re putting much effort into the car.”

“They’re not even trying to be that competitive, so there’s not much to talk about.”

Sauber’s 2025 F1 Driver Lineup Remains Uncertain

Sauber has yet to decide on its 2025 F1 driver lineup. Nico Hulkenberg was announced earlier this year, but new Audi boss Mattia Binotto is weighing his options.

Bottas remains their clear choice, while they are reportedly considering McLaren junior Gabriel Bortleto. Bortleto currently leads the Formula 2 drivers’ standings with just the final race of the 2024 season remaining.

Category: Formula 1 / Sauber F1 Team / Jacques Villeneuve