Sauber criticized by Hulkenberg following Zandvoort debacle: "overly cautious"

Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto faced a challenging weekend at the Zandvoort race, with several factors contributing to their less-than-ideal performances.

Starting on Soft tires, Hülkenberg's potential for an aggressive strategy was evident from the get-go. However, the race saw a series of events that left him stuck in traffic outside the points for the entire middle stint. Hülkenberg expressed regret about not taking more risks, suggesting that the team's strategy may have been too conservative.

Bortoleto, who qualified ahead of Hülkenberg, experienced a poor start due to a technical problem, which he partially attributed to an aggressive clutch approach. He believes that if he had managed the clutch better, the technical issue might have been avoided.

The Sauber team's performance in qualifying at Zandvoort was not as strong as at previous Formula 1 weekends, likely due to the windy conditions that the C45 doesn't handle as well as other midfield cars.

The race was filled with Safety Cars, and Sauber's strategy seemed to be affected, with almost every decision going awry for both drivers. Hülkenberg had the opportunity for an undercut during the race but did not execute it, a move that could have potentially improved his position.

Other midfield drivers took risks with their strategies during the race, which was a stark contrast to Sauber's cautious approach. Hülkenberg's comments suggest that the strategy department may have lacked the necessary courage to make bold strategic decisions.

Fernando Alonso, on the other hand, stopped mid-race in Zandvoort, a seemingly pointless move that ultimately helped him score points.

In the aftermath of the race, Hülkenberg expressed frustration about his performance, stating that he remained at the back of the field and could not overtake due to the traffic and dirty air. He made these comments four days later ahead of the next race in Monza.

The strategist for the Sauber team in Zandvoort was Sauber’s sporting director Iñaki Rueda. The team seems to have paid the price twice for their cautious strategy during the Zandvoort race. As the Formula 1 season continues, the Sauber team will undoubtedly be looking to make bolder strategic decisions to climb up the rankings.