Sauber Motorsport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kick Sauber-Ferrari

Full name	Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
Base	Hinwil, Zürich, Switzerland Bicester, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom (Technology Centre)
Team principal(s)	Jonathan Wheatley
Chief Technical & Operating Officer	Mattia Binotto
Technical director	James Key
Founder(s)	Peter Sauber
Previous name	Alfa Romeo F1 Team
Next name	Audi F1 Team
Formula One World Championship career
First entry	1993 South African Grand Prix
Last entry	2019 Monaco Grand Prix
Races entered	465 (462 starts)
Engines	Sauber, Mercedes, Ford, Petronas, BMW, Ferrari
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
Race victories	1
Podiums	27
Points	865
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	5
2024 position	10th (4 pts)

Sauber Motorsport AG, known today as Kick Sauber, is a Swiss company that builds and races cars. It was started by Peter Sauber in 1970. The team first built sports cars for racing, then joined Formula One in 1993.

Sauber had a strong partnership with Mercedes-Benz in sports car racing, winning two world championships and the famous 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans race. In Formula One, they were owned by BMW from 2006 to 2009. During this time, as BMW Sauber, they achieved their only Formula One win with Robert Kubica at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. They also finished second in the 2008 World Constructors Championship.

After BMW left, Peter Sauber bought the team back. From 2010 to 2023, they used Ferrari engines. They also had a big sponsorship deal with Alfa Romeo from 2018 to 2023, racing as Alfa Romeo Racing and later Alfa Romeo F1 Team. In 2022, they had their best result in over a decade, finishing sixth in the Constructors' Championship.

Sauber is now preparing to become the official factory team for Audi in Formula One starting in 2026. This means Audi will fully own and run the team.

Sauber's Early Racing Cars

Sauber Motorsport AG

Formerly	PP Sauber AG Red Bull Sauber AG BMW Sauber AG
Type	Private
Industry	Motor racing
Founded	1970
Founder	Peter Sauber
Headquarters	Hinwil, canton of Zürich, Switzerland
Key people	Gernot Döllner (Chairman) Jonathan Wheatley (Team Principal) Mattia Binotto (CEO) Iñaki Rueda (Sporting Director) Xevi Pujolar (Racing Director) Beat Zehnder (Director of Signature Programs & Operations)
Owner	Audi AG (70%) QIA (30%)

Peter Sauber started building sports cars in his garage in Zurich in 1970. His first car was called the Sauber C1. The "C" in the car names was chosen to honor his wife, Christiane. All Sauber cars since then have had a name starting with "C".

Sauber began working with Mercedes-Benz in 1985. They introduced the very successful Sauber C9 car in 1987. By 1988, Sauber became the official Mercedes factory team, known as Team Sauber Mercedes. With famous drivers like Michael Schumacher, they dominated the world championship in 1989 and 1990. A major highlight was winning the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Sauber in Formula One

Sauber's First Era (1993–2005)

Starting with Mercedes-Benz (1993–1994)

Sauber joined Formula One in 1993. Their first F1 car was the Sauber C12, powered by Ilmor engines. The car looked great and performed well, scoring points in its very first race in South Africa. However, the team often faced reliability issues and accidents. Despite this, they still managed to finish seventh in the Constructors' Championship.

The Sauber team's first Formula One car, the Sauber C12

The traditional Sauber "S" logo, which changed with different sponsors

In 1994, Sauber officially became the Mercedes factory team, using Mercedes engines. The season was tough, especially after driver Karl Wendlinger had a serious crash at the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix. This accident, along with others that year, led to new safety rules in Formula One, like stronger head protection for drivers. Mercedes left Sauber at the end of 1994 to partner with McLaren.

Red Bull and Ford Engines (1995–1996)

In 1995, Sauber began a long partnership with energy drink company Red Bull. They also started using Ford engines. Driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen had a good season, helping the team score a record 18 points. In 1995, Petronas also became a major sponsor.

Frentzen driving for Sauber at the 1995 British Grand Prix

The 1996 season was more difficult for Sauber, even with a strong driver lineup. They scored fewer points, and at the end of the year, they decided to switch to Ferrari engines for the next season.

Working with Ferrari (1997–2005)

From 1997 to 2005, Sauber used engines and gearboxes designed by Ferrari. They even had Ferrari engineers working with them. In 2001, Sauber brought a young and unknown driver, Kimi Räikkönen, into Formula One. He proved to be very talented and later became a world champion.

Jacques Villeneuve driving for the Sauber team at the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix

Sauber also invested a lot in new technology, building a modern wind tunnel and a powerful supercomputer to improve their cars. These advanced facilities made Sauber an attractive team for bigger car manufacturers. In 2005, Red Bull left Sauber to start their own team. Sauber then made a deal with BMW for engines, which led to BMW buying the team at the end of 2005.

BMW Factory Team (2006–2009)

A New Era with BMW (2006–2007)

At the end of 2005, BMW bought most of Sauber's shares, and the team was renamed BMW Sauber. Peter Sauber kept a small part of the team. For the 2006 season, the team signed Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve, with Robert Kubica as a test driver. BMW built new V8 engines for the team.

Nick Heidfeld took BMW's first podium finish at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.

The team scored points regularly in 2006. Heidfeld achieved BMW Sauber's first podium finish at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix. Kubica replaced Villeneuve later in the season and also scored a podium at the 2006 Italian Grand Prix. The team finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship.

In 2007, Kubica and Heidfeld continued as drivers. The new car, the F1.07, showed good speed. Heidfeld had several strong fourth-place finishes. Kubica had a big crash in Canada but recovered quickly. Young driver Sebastian Vettel filled in for Kubica at one race and became the youngest driver to score a point at that time. BMW Sauber established itself as the third-best team behind Ferrari and McLaren.

First Win and Challenges (2008–2009)

The 2008 season started well for BMW Sauber. Kubica achieved the team's first ever pole position in Bahrain. The team's biggest success came at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix, where Robert Kubica won the race, and Nick Heidfeld finished second. This was the team's first and only Formula One victory.

The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix saw Robert Kubica win his and BMW Sauber's only race.

After this win, the team decided to focus on developing their car for the 2009 season due to new rules coming in. This meant they didn't improve as much during the rest of 2008, and other teams caught up. Despite this, Kubica remained in the championship fight for a long time.

The 2009 season was disappointing. The team struggled with the new rules and didn't perform as well as expected. In July 2009, BMW announced they would leave Formula One at the end of the season due to the global financial crisis. Peter Sauber bought the team back for a symbolic amount.

Sauber's Independent Return (2010–2018)

Back with Ferrari Engines (2010–2017)

In 2010, Peter Sauber officially repurchased the team. They continued to use Ferrari engines. Kamui Kobayashi and Pedro de la Rosa were the drivers. The team struggled at first but improved in the second half of the season, scoring points regularly. Kobayashi's impressive driving, especially in Valencia, earned him praise.

Kamui Kobayashi racing during the 2010 German Grand Prix

For 2011, Kobayashi was joined by Sergio Pérez. The team continued to score points and finished seventh in the Constructors' Championship.

The 2012 season was very successful for Sauber as an independent team. Pérez achieved two second-place finishes and a third place, showing great skill. Kobayashi also got his first podium finish in Japan. The team finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship, their best result since BMW left. During this year, Peter Sauber transferred ownership of a third of the team to CEO Monisha Kaltenborn, who later became the team principal.

Sergio Pérez at the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix

In 2013, Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Gutiérrez joined the team. The car was not as competitive as the previous year, but Hülkenberg showed strong performances, especially in qualifying. The team finished seventh in the Constructors' Championship.

The 2014 season was very difficult. The team failed to score any points, which was a first in their history.

Felipe Nasr driving the Sauber C34 at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix

In 2015, Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr became the drivers. The team improved significantly, scoring points in the first race and finishing eighth in the Constructors' Championship.

The 2016 season was tough again, with only two points scored by Felipe Nasr in Brazil. In July 2016, a Swiss investment firm called Longbow Finance bought Sauber, ending Peter Sauber's ownership.

For 2017, Ericsson stayed, and Pascal Wehrlein joined. The team struggled again, scoring only five points. Frédéric Vasseur took over as team principal during the season.

Partnership with Alfa Romeo (2018)

In 2018, Sauber formed a major partnership with Alfa Romeo, and the team was renamed Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. They continued to use Ferrari engines. Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson were the drivers.

Marcus Ericsson driving an Alfa Romeo Sauber C37 during pre-season testing

Leclerc, a rookie, showed great talent, scoring points regularly and helping the team finish eighth in the Constructors' Championship with 48 points. This was a big improvement for Sauber. At the end of the season, Leclerc moved to Ferrari.

Alfa Romeo Racing/F1 Team (2019–2023)

Racing as Alfa Romeo (2019–2021)

In 2019, the team officially became Alfa Romeo Racing. Kimi Räikkönen joined the team, partnering with Antonio Giovinazzi. The team had a good season, scoring 57 points and finishing eighth in the Constructors' Championship. A highlight was a strong race in Brazil, where both cars finished in the top five.

Kimi Räikkönen driving the Alfa Romeo C39 at the 2020 Pre-Season testing

The 2020 season was more challenging, with the team only scoring eight points, but they still managed to finish eighth. In 2021, Alfa Romeo finished ninth with 13 points.

Final Years as Alfa Romeo (2022–2023)

For the 2022 season, former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and rookie Zhou Guanyu joined the team, which was now called Alfa Romeo F1 Team. Bottas had a strong season, finishing fifth at one race and tenth overall in the drivers' standings. Zhou also scored points in three races. The team finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship, their best result in a decade.

Valtteri Bottas driving the Alfa Romeo C43 at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix

Sauber ended its partnership with Alfa Romeo at the end of 2023. Bottas and Zhou remained as drivers. The team signed new title sponsors, online casino Stake.com and streaming platform Kick. In countries where gambling ads are not allowed, the team was known as Alfa Romeo F1 Team Kick.

Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber (2024–2025)

Recent Seasons (2024–2025)

In 2024, Sauber officially lost its Alfa Romeo sponsorship as it prepared to become the Audi factory team. The team raced as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, continuing its partnerships with Stake and Kick. The 2024 car was named the Kick Sauber C44. The team finished the 2024 season in tenth place, scoring four points.

Bottas and Zhou on the grid for Sprint Race, 2024 Chinese Grand Prix

For the 2025 season, Nico Hülkenberg returned to the team, joined by reigning Formula 2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto. Jonathan Wheatley became the new Team Principal on April 1, 2025. In February 2025, Sauber announced a new 'technical centre' in Bicester, United Kingdom, to help with recruitment and expand their presence in Formula One. At the 2025 British Grand Prix, Hülkenberg achieved his first ever Formula One podium, finishing third. This was also Sauber's first podium since 2012.

Audi Factory Team (from 2026)

On October 26, 2022, it was announced that Sauber will become the official Audi factory team starting in 2026. Audi will provide its own power units, ending Sauber's long-standing engine partnership with Ferrari. Audi acquired a minority stake in Sauber in January 2023 and confirmed a full takeover of the team on March 8, 2024. Mattia Binotto became the team principal on August 1, 2024, and Jonathan Wheatley joined as team principal on April 1, 2025.

Sauber Academy

In 2018, Sauber started a program called the Sauber Junior Team to help young drivers develop their skills. In 2020, this program was relaunched as the Sauber Academy, continuing to support future racing stars.

Race Cars

Overview of Sauber race cars
Year	Car	Image	Category
1970	Sauber C1		Group 6
1971	Sauber C2		Group 6
1973	Sauber C3		Group 5
	Sauber C4		Group 5
1975	Sauber C5		Group 6
1982	Sauber SHS C6		Group C
1983	Sauber C7		Group C
1985	Sauber C8		Group C1
1987	Sauber C9		Group C1
1991	Mercedes-Benz C11		Group C2
	Mercedes-Benz C291		Group C1
	Mercedes-Benz C292		Group C1
1993	Sauber C12		Formula One
1994	Sauber C13		Formula One
1995	Sauber C14		Formula One
1996	Sauber C15		Formula One
1997	Sauber C16		Formula One
1998	Sauber C17		Formula One
1999	Sauber C18		Formula One
2000	Sauber C19		Formula One
2001	Sauber C20		Formula One
2002	Sauber C21		Formula One
2003	Sauber C22		Formula One
2004	Sauber C23		Formula One
2005	Sauber C24		Formula One
2006	BMW Sauber F1.06		Formula One
2007	BMW Sauber F1.07		Formula One
2008	BMW Sauber F1.08		Formula One
2009	BMW Sauber F1.09		Formula One
2010	Sauber C29		Formula One
2011	Sauber C30		Formula One
2012	Sauber C31		Formula One
2013	Sauber C32		Formula One
2014	Sauber C33		Formula One
2015	Sauber C34		Formula One
2016	Sauber C35		Formula One
2017	Sauber C36		Formula One
2018	Sauber C37		Formula One
2019	Alfa Romeo Racing C38		Formula One
2020	Alfa Romeo Racing C39		Formula One
2021	Alfa Romeo Racing C41		Formula One
2022	Alfa Romeo C42		Formula One
2023	Alfa Romeo C43		Formula One
2024	Kick Sauber C44		Formula One
2025	Kick Sauber C45		Formula One

Racing Record

Formula One results
Year	Name	Car	Engine	Tyres	No.	Drivers	Points	WCC
Sauber
1993	Team Sauber Formula 1	C12	Sauber 2175A 3.5 V10	G	29. 30.	Karl Wendlinger JJ Lehto	12	7th
1994	Broker Sauber Mercedes Sauber Mercedes	C13	Mercedes 2175B 3.5 V10	G	29. 29. 29. 30.	Karl Wendlinger Andrea de Cesaris JJ Lehto Heinz-Harald Frentzen	12	8th
1995	Red Bull Sauber Ford	C14	Ford ECA Zetec-R 3.0 V8	G	29. 29. 30.	Karl Wendlinger Jean-Christophe Boullion Heinz-Harald Frentzen	18	7th
1996	Red Bull Sauber Ford	C15	Ford JD Zetec-R 3.0 V10	G	14. 15.	Johnny Herbert Heinz-Harald Frentzen	11	7th
1997	Red Bull Sauber Petronas	C16	Petronas SPE-01 3.0 V10	G	16. 17. 17. 17.	Johnny Herbert Nicola Larini Gianni Morbidelli Norberto Fontana	16	7th
1998	Red Bull Sauber Petronas	C17	Petronas SPE-01D 3.0 V10	G	14. 15.	Jean Alesi Johnny Herbert	10	6th
1999	Red Bull Sauber Petronas	C18	Petronas SPE-03A 3.0 V10	B	11. 12.	Jean Alesi Pedro Diniz	5	8th
2000	Red Bull Sauber Petronas	C19	Petronas SPE-04A 3.0 V10	B	16. 17.	Pedro Diniz Mika Salo	6	8th
2001	Red Bull Sauber Petronas	C20	Petronas 01A 3.0 V10	B	16. 17.	Nick Heidfeld Kimi Räikkönen	21	4th
2002	Sauber Petronas	C21	Petronas 02A 3.0 V10	B	7. 8. 8.	Nick Heidfeld Felipe Massa Heinz-Harald Frentzen	11	5th
2003	Sauber Petronas	C22	Petronas 03A 3.0 V10	B	9. 10.	Nick Heidfeld Heinz-Harald Frentzen	19	6th
2004	Sauber Petronas	C23	Petronas 04A 3.0 V10	B	11. 12.	Giancarlo Fisichella Felipe Massa	34	6th
2005	Sauber Petronas	C24	Petronas 05A 3.0 V10	M	11. 12.	Jacques Villeneuve Felipe Massa	20	8th
BMW Sauber
2006	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.06	BMW P86/6 2.4 V8	M	16. 17. 17.	Nick Heidfeld Jacques Villeneuve Robert Kubica	36	5th
2007	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.07	BMW P86/7 2.4 V8	B	9. 10. 10.	Nick Heidfeld Robert Kubica Sebastian Vettel	101	2nd
2008	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.08	BMW P86/8 2.4 V8	B	3. 4.	Nick Heidfeld Robert Kubica	135	3rd
2009	BMW Sauber F1 Team	F1.09	BMW P86/9 2.4 V8	B	5. 6.	Robert Kubica Nick Heidfeld	36	6th
2010	BMW Sauber F1 Team	C29	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	B	22. 22. 23.	Pedro de la Rosa Nick Heidfeld Kamui Kobayashi	44	8th
Sauber
2011	Sauber F1 Team	C30	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	P	16. 17. 17.	Kamui Kobayashi Sergio Pérez Pedro de la Rosa	44	7th
2012	Sauber F1 Team	C31	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	P	14. 15.	Kamui Kobayashi Sergio Pérez	126	6th
2013	Sauber F1 Team	C32	Ferrari 056 2.4 V8	P	11. 12.	Nico Hülkenberg Esteban Gutiérrez	57	7th
2014	Sauber F1 Team	C33	Ferrari 059/3 1.6 V6 t	P	21. 99.	Esteban Gutiérrez Adrian Sutil	0	10th
2015	Sauber F1 Team	C34	Ferrari 060 1.6 V6 t	P	9. 12.	Marcus Ericsson Felipe Nasr	36	8th
2016	Sauber F1 Team	C35	Ferrari 061 1.6 V6 t	P	9. 12.	Marcus Ericsson Felipe Nasr	2	10th
2017	Sauber F1 Team	C36	Ferrari 061 1.6 V6 t	P	9. 36. 94.	Marcus Ericsson Antonio Giovinazzi Pascal Wehrlein	5	10th
2018	Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team	C37	Ferrari 063 1.6 V6 t	P	9. 16.	Marcus Ericsson Charles Leclerc	48	8th
Alfa Romeo
2019	Alfa Romeo Racing	C38	Ferrari 064 1.6 V6 t	P	7. 99.	Kimi Räikkönen Antonio Giovinazzi	57	8th
2020	Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen	C39	Ferrari 065 1.6 V6 t	P	7. 99.	Kimi Räikkönen Antonio Giovinazzi	8	8th
2021	Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen	C41	Ferrari 065/6 1.6 V6 t	P	7. 88. 99.	Kimi Räikkönen Robert Kubica Antonio Giovinazzi	13	9th
2022	Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen	C42	Ferrari 066/7 1.6 V6 t	P	24. 77.	Zhou Guanyu Valtteri Bottas	55	6th
2023	Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake	C43	Ferrari 066/10 1.6 V6 t	P	24. 77.	Zhou Guanyu Valtteri Bottas	16	9th
Kick Sauber
2024	Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber	C44	Ferrari 066/12 1.6 V6 t	P	24. 77.	Zhou Guanyu Valtteri Bottas	4	10th
2025	Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber	C45	Ferrari 066/12 1.6 V6 t	P	5. 27.	Gabriel Bortoleto Nico Hülkenberg	*	*

Notes

• * – Season still in progress.