Nico Hulkenberg has praised the early impact of team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who brings his experience as Red Bull’s former sporting director to the struggling Sauber outfit. Coming off the first podium finish of his career at the British Grand Prix, the German has highlighted the “shortcuts to performance” he is already implementing.
Hulkenberg, spearheading Sauber’s push up the standings as the team readies itself for a transition to Audi next year, has credited the new team principal for the changes he’s beginning to make, which are already bearing fruit.
“Very quickly he saw possibilities to optimise here and there. It’s just shortcuts to performance and to a better and a more streamlined organisation and race operation.
“He applied some things in the structure of the team which are beneficial and helpful. Often, it’s just little tweaks, but many little tweaks are a positive contribution.
“And back at the factory, there’s a lot more work to do as we grow, to put the pieces into position and make sure they work productively in the future.”
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber and third place Nico Hulkenberg, Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber celebrate in parc ferme
Photo by: Bryn Lennon / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Sauber is sixth in the constructors’ standings so far this season, its joint best result since 2012 – ignoring the years when the team competed under Alfa Romeo. The British Grand Prix result also ended their podium drought, with the same year seeing Kamui Kobayashi finishing third at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Wheatley’s influence was visible at the wet British Grand Prix, where his German driver surged from the back of the grid to his maiden podium behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in what he described as “the most overdue podium in F1 history.” Wheatley, who joined the team at the start of April after almost 20 years at Red Bull, brings a winning pedigree to Hinwil.
“I’ve spoken about how important momentum is in a team, and for me, what I take from this result is that people start believing in us,” Wheatley said after the team’s success at Silverstone. “I can say the words, I can say we’re gaining momentum, I can say we’re putting performance on the car, I can say all the hard work Mattia [Binotto] put in before I got here is coming to light, but it is all true.
“We’ve got a long journey to where we need to be as a team, and it is a great stepping stone, but I am trying to keep my feet on the ground.”
With Sauber eager to continue to capitalise on their upgrades from Barcelona, they head into the Belgian Grand Prix with plenty of confidence.
In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
