P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Zhou set for F1 Australian GP pitlane start after damaging front wing
Zhou Guanyu had a challenging qualifying session at Albert Park on Saturday due to breaking the left-hand side of his front wing on the Turn 10 exit kerbs during his final flying lap. Despite running at a similar pace to his teammate Valtteri Bottas, Zhou qualified 19th and last after the withdrawal of Williams’ Logan Sargeant. Sauber confirmed Zhou had to revert to a previous front wing specification as they did not have spares of the new wing in Australia, resulting in a breach of parc ferme rules. Consequently, Zhou is set to start Sunday’s race from the pitlane. Zhou mentioned that the new front wing aimed to improve the car’s balance rather than providing a significant performance gain, as Sauber struggled with rear-end instability and one-lap pace. Bottas acknowledged that the new wing didn’t bring a significant improvement but noted a slight increase in grip and load, emphasizing the need to continue working on rear stability in high-speed corners.
