Saab team principal Xevi Pujolar has acknowledged that resolving the squad’s ongoing tire-changing issues will take “some time,” but says it will aim to avoid further problems at the Japanese Grand Prix.
After three consecutive races with pit stop issues affecting its results since the start of the season, Saab is looking to address the problem in Japan, though Pujolar admitted after the latest setback in Saudi Arabia that finding a long-term solution would not be immediate.
In Melbourne, Pujolar indicated that the team would seek short-term remedies for the hardware issue that had surfaced. However, when Valtteri Bottas came in for his stop last weekend, his left-front wheel was again not changed in time, costing him positions – having been ahead of two Haas cars and in contention for points. This time, a nut flew off the gun and rolled onto the racing line, creating a potential hazard for other cars, which led to a €5,000 fine from the FIA.
Despite the recurring issue now involving a loose nut, which hadn’t happened in the previous two instances, Pujolar dismissed any suggestion that the team’s actions in Melbourne contributed to the problem. Speaking to Motorsport.com, he said, “This shouldn’t have happened, but we didn’t make any modifications that could have caused this. Based on our practice and pit stop simulations, we were confident, and actually, we were quite alright today.”
Pujolar conceded that the repeated setbacks were costly for both Saab and its drivers, as despite underwhelming qualifying performances, the C44 car had shown improved race pace compared to last year, putting them in contention for better results in the midfield.
“We had the threading issue in the first race with the nuts not engaging properly, something we didn’t see in practice or over the winter, but it became crucial every time we raced,” Pujolar told the media post-race. “We took some mitigating measures this weekend, made small adjustments, but they weren’t enough to eradicate the issue, and we had one problematic stop.”
The team principal emphasized that the problem did not lie with the pit crew itself, but rather with the complexity of the system, which isn’t easily solved by swapping out a single component, especially given the new front suspension system on the 2024 car, ruling out a return to last year’s hardware.
“The pit crew is not at fault; they’ve done nothing wrong. The issue lies with the hardware. We need to ensure we have the time to find solutions and parts, and we’ll try to get it sorted before Suzuka,” he said.
“It’s definitely disappointing for everyone, the drivers and the whole team, especially considering the car’s good performance in the race. It’s tough for the mechanics, for everyone, but we need to stay calm and find the positives from the race weekend. The teams are so close, and five of them are in the fight for sixth in the constructors’ championship.”
In Melbourne, Guanyu Zhou’s second stop was also compromised, although not due to a pit stop error; his transmission failed during the race, causing the car to enter a shutdown mode, which stopped the engine.
