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Sauber Motorsport facts for kids

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Switzerland Kick Sauber-Ferrari
Logo of Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.png
Full name Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber
Base Hinwil, Zürich, Switzerland
Team principal(s) Alessandro Alunni Bravi (Team Representative)
Chief Technical 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

Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss company that designs and builds race cars. It's famous for competing in Formula One, the highest class of auto racing. The team is currently known as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.

The company was started in 1970 by Peter Sauber. He began by building sports cars and eventually moved into Formula One in 1993. Sauber has raced under its own name and also partnered with big car brands like BMW and Alfa Romeo. From 2026, Sauber will become the official team for Audi in Formula One.

Sauber has won one Grand Prix race. This happened when they were known as BMW Sauber in 2008. They have also achieved many podium finishes, meaning their drivers finished in the top three. The team operates from a large facility in Hinwil, Switzerland.

Sauber's Racing Journey

Sauber Motorsport AG
Formerly
PP Sauber AG
Red Bull Sauber AG
BMW Sauber AG
Private
Industry Motor racing
Founded 1970
Founder Peter Sauber
Headquarters Hinwil, canton of Zürich, Switzerland
Key people
Mattia Binotto (COO & CTO)
Gernot Döllner (Chairman)
Owner Audi AG

Early Days in Sports Cars

Before joining Formula One, Peter Sauber built amazing sports cars. In the 1980s, his team worked with Mercedes-Benz. They became the official factory team for Mercedes. They even brought back the famous "Silver Arrow" name.

The Sauber-Mercedes team won the tough 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1989. They also won the World Sports Prototype Championship in 1989 and 1990. Famous drivers like Michael Schumacher raced for Sauber during this time.

Sauber-Mercedes C9, Bj. 1988 (2009-08-07 Sp)
Team Sauber-Mercedes achieved victory at the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Sauber-Mercedes C9.

Joining Formula One

Sauber entered Formula One in 1993. This was a time of big changes for F1 engines. They used V10 Ilmor engines. Their first car was called the C12.

First Steps in F1 (1993–1994)

The Sauber C12 made its debut in South Africa in 1993. It looked great and performed well, scoring points in its very first race. Even though the car sometimes had problems, it showed good speed. Sauber finished seventh in the championship that year.

Karl Wendlinger - Sauber C12 during practice for the 1993 British Grand Prix (33302730550)
The Sauber team's first Formula One car, the Sauber C12
Sauber "S" logo 2000's
The traditional Sauber "S" logo which has evolved through different sponsors over the years

In 1994, Sauber officially partnered with Mercedes-Benz. The engine was renamed the Mercedes 3.5 V10. Sadly, the season was difficult. Driver Karl Wendlinger had a serious crash at the Monaco Grand Prix. This accident helped make F1 cars safer, leading to new rules for head protection. Mercedes left Sauber at the end of 1994 to work with McLaren.

Working with Red Bull and Ford (1995–1996)

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

Heinz-Harald Frentzen 1995 Britain
Frentzen driving for Sauber at the 1995 British Grand Prix

The team also gained a new sponsor, Petronas, in 1995. The 1996 season was tougher, with fewer points scored. For 1997, Sauber planned to use Ferrari engines.

Ferrari Engines and Sauber Petronas (1997–2005)

From 1997 to 2005, Sauber used engines designed by Ferrari. These engines were built by a company called Sauber Petronas Engineering. Sauber became a "customer team," meaning they bought parts and designs from Ferrari.

Jacques Villeneuve 2005 Canada 2
Jacques Villeneuve driving for the Sauber team at the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix

In 2001, Sauber brought in a new, young driver named Kimi Räikkönen. Many people thought he was too new to F1, but he proved them wrong with great performances. He later became a World Champion. In 2004, Sauber built a new wind tunnel and a powerful computer to help design their cars. These advanced tools made Sauber very attractive to other car manufacturers.

In 2005, Red Bull left Sauber to start their own F1 team. At the end of 2005, BMW bought most of Sauber's shares. This led to a new chapter for the team.

BMW Sauber Era (2006–2009)

After BMW bought into the team, it was renamed BMW Sauber. Peter Sauber kept a small share. The team raced under a German license.

2006 Season Highlights

For 2006, the team signed Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve. They used BMW engines. The new car had a blue, white, and red design.

Nick Heidfeld Hungaroring
Nick Heidfeld took BMW's first podium finish at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Thanks Michael 2006 Brazil
BMW Sauber put "Thanks Michael" messages on the back of their cars for what was then Michael Schumacher's last Grand Prix in Brazil.

Villeneuve scored the team's first points. Heidfeld later achieved BMW Sauber's first podium finish in Hungary. Young driver Robert Kubica also joined the team and showed great promise. BMW Sauber finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship.

2007 Season Highlights

In 2007, Kubica and Heidfeld were the main drivers. Their new car, the F1.07, looked very fast in testing. Heidfeld continued to score points, and the team became the third-best behind Ferrari and McLaren.

Nick Heidfeld 2007 Canada
Nick Heidfeld took BMW Sauber's best result of 2007 with second place at the Canadian Grand Prix.

At the Canadian Grand Prix, Kubica had a big crash but was mostly okay. Sebastian Vettel filled in for him at the next race and became the youngest driver to score a point in F1.

2008 Season Highlights

The 2008 season started very well for BMW Sauber. Kubica got the team's first ever pole position in Bahrain. He then finished second in Monaco.

Heidfeld and Rosberg - 2008 Melb GP
BMW Sauber took a podium finish in the first race of the 2008 season, courtesy of Nick Heidfeld.
Robert Kubica 2008 Canada 2
The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix saw Robert Kubica win his and BMW Sauber's only race.

The team's biggest moment came at the Canadian Grand Prix. Robert Kubica won the race, and Nick Heidfeld finished second! This was BMW Sauber's only F1 victory. After this win, the team focused on developing their 2009 car. This meant they didn't improve as much during the rest of 2008.

2009 Season Challenges

The 2009 season was disappointing for BMW Sauber. Despite hoping to challenge for the title, they struggled. Kubica had a crash in the first race, and Heidfeld got one podium finish.

Heidfeld 2009 Malaysian GP 2
In a disappointing final year for BMW, Nick Heidfeld took the first of the team's two podiums during the season at the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix.

In July 2009, BMW announced they would leave Formula One at the end of the season. This made the team's future uncertain. Luckily, Peter Sauber bought the team back.

Sauber's Independent Return (2010–2018)

Back on Their Own (2010–2017)

In 2010, Peter Sauber officially bought the team back. They used Ferrari engines again. The team was still called "BMW Sauber F1 Team" for 2010 because of rules, even though BMW was no longer involved.

Kamui Kobayashi Hockenheim 2010
Kamui Kobayashi racing during the 2010 German Grand Prix

Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and Pedro de la Rosa were the drivers. The team had a tough start but improved later in the season. Kobayashi's exciting driving earned him praise and points.

2011 and 2012 Success

Kobayashi stayed for 2011, joined by Sergio Pérez. The team regularly finished in the top 10. In 2012, Sauber had one of its best seasons as an independent team. Pérez finished second in Malaysia, a fantastic result!

Sergio Perez Canada 2012
Sergio Pérez at the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix

Kobayashi also got his first podium finish in Japan. Peter Sauber handed over the role of team principal to Monisha Kaltenborn, making her the first female F1 team boss.

2013 and 2014 Struggles

Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Gutiérrez drove for Sauber in 2013. The car was not as competitive as the year before. However, Hülkenberg showed great skill, especially in qualifying.

Nico Hulkenberg 2013 Malaysia FP1
Nico Hülkenberg racing during the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix

In 2014, the team had a very difficult year. They failed to score any points for the first time in their history.

2015 and 2016 Seasons

Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr joined Sauber for 2015. The team improved, scoring points again. Nasr even finished fifth in the first race.

Felipe Nasr 2015 Malaysia FP3
Felipe Nasr driving the Sauber C34 at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix
Sauber pair Bahrain 2016
Sauber drivers Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson racing for position at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

In 2016, Sauber faced financial challenges. A Swiss investment firm, Longbow Finance, bought the team. This helped secure its future. Nasr scored the team's only points in 2016.

2017 Season

Ericsson stayed for 2017, joined by Pascal Wehrlein. Antonio Giovinazzi also drove for the team when Wehrlein was injured. Later in the season, Frédéric Vasseur became the new team principal.

Pascal Wehrlein 2017 Malaysia FP2 2
Pascal Wehrlein competing for Sauber at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix

Partnership with Alfa Romeo (2018)

In 2018, Sauber started a new partnership with Alfa Romeo. The team was renamed Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team. They continued to use Ferrari engines.

Ericsson Alfa Romeo Sauber C37 Testing Barcelona
Marcus Ericsson driving an Alfa Romeo Sauber C37 during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
2018 Chinese Grand Prix FP3 Charles Leclerc (39897914770) (cropped)
Charles Leclerc driving the Sauber C37 during the first free practice session of the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit

Young driver Charles Leclerc joined Ericsson. Leclerc showed amazing talent, scoring points often. Sauber finished eighth in the Constructors' Championship, a good improvement.

Alfa Romeo Racing Era (2019–2023)

2019 Season

For 2019, Sauber officially became Alfa Romeo Racing. F1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen joined the team, along with Antonio Giovinazzi.

Antonio Giovinazzi during Hungarian Formula 1 GP
Antonio Giovinazzi driving the Alfa Romeo C38 during the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring

The 2019 season was strong for Alfa Romeo. Räikkönen scored points in many races. A highlight was the Brazilian Grand Prix, where both cars finished in the top five.

2020 and 2021 Seasons

Räikkönen and Giovinazzi continued as drivers for 2020. The season was more challenging, and the team scored fewer points.

Kimi Raïkkonen-Alfa Romeo C39 (2)
Kimi Räikkönen driving the Alfa Romeo C39 at the 2020 Pre-Season testing session at Circuit de Cataluyna

In 2021, the team finished ninth in the championship. Räikkönen scored most of the points before retiring from F1 at the end of the year.

2022 and 2023 Seasons

For 2022, former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas and rookie Zhou Guanyu joined the team. They entered as Alfa Romeo F1 Team. Bottas had a strong start, and Zhou also scored points. The team finished sixth in the championship.

In 2023, Alfa Romeo ended its partnership with Sauber. The team signed new sponsors, Stake and Kick. The team was renamed Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake. In some countries, they used the name Alfa Romeo F1 Team Kick due to advertising rules.

Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber (2024–2025)

2024 Season

For 2024, Sauber officially lost the Alfa Romeo sponsorship. The team is now called Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber. Bottas and Zhou continue as drivers. The 2024 car is named the Kick Sauber C44.

Bottas & Zhou on the grid - Sprint race, Chinese GP 2024
Bottas and Zhou on the grid for Sprint Race, 2024 Chinese Grand Prix

2025 Season

Nico Hülkenberg will return to the team in 2025. He will be joined by Gabriel Bortoleto.

Audi Factory Team (from 2026)

Sauber will become the official factory team for Audi from 2026. Audi plans to take full control of the Sauber Group. This is a big step for Sauber, as they will be working directly with a major car manufacturer again.

Sauber Academy

Sauber also has a program called the Sauber Academy. This program helps young, talented drivers develop their skills. It helps them move up through different racing series, hoping to reach Formula One one day.

Racing Record

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

Notes

  • * – Season still in progress.
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