Zhou Guanyu to Start from Pitlane in Australian Grand Prix
Zhou Guanyu had a tough qualifying session at Albert Park, breaking the left-hand side of his front wing on the Turn 10 exit kerbs during his final flyer. This unfortunate incident led to Zhou qualifying last, despite showing a similar pace to his teammate Valtteri Bottas who made it to Q2.
Due to the lack of spare parts, Zhou had to revert to a previous front wing specification, which is a breach of parc ferme rules. As a result, he is set to start Sunday’s race from the pitlane. Zhou expressed his frustration, stating that he didn’t make any mistakes during his lap and the wing broke off unexpectedly.
The new front wing was intended to improve the car’s balance, especially in addressing rear-end instability. Despite not providing a significant performance boost, Zhou felt that the car had the pace during the session. Bottas also acknowledged the slight improvement in grip with the new wing but highlighted the need to work on rear stability at high speeds.
In what was already a challenging weekend for Sauber, Zhou’s setback added to their difficulties. The team will have to regroup and strategize for the race, with Zhou aiming to make up lost ground from the back of the grid.
Summary:
Zhou Guanyu’s qualifying woes at the Australian Grand Prix have relegated him to starting from the pitlane after a front wing failure. Despite showing promising pace, Zhou’s setback adds to Sauber’s challenges for the race. The team will need to adapt quickly and make the most of their strategy to overcome this setback.
