backstory
The Alfa Romeo F1 Team is in the process of helping Sauber re-establish itself in the midfield of Formula 1.
With some of Formula 1’s biggest sponsorship names joining the sport through the Sauber team, it’s not just the drivers that have been big names over the years. This is the story of Sauber in Formula 1.
Mercedes and Red Bull – 1993-2005
After developing a successful sports car racing partnership with Mercedes that introduced the likes of Michael Schumacher to the world of motorsport, Sauber entered F1 in 1993 with Ilmor engines – now Brixworth-based Mercedes.
A brilliant debut for the team in South Africa would see JJ Lehto finish fifth and pick up two points, but for the remainder of the season unreliability would plague the team and finish seventh overall, with both Lehto and Karl Wendlinger adding points.
In 1994, Heinz-Harold Frentzen replaced Lehto when the Mercedes name entered the sport. The team would only finish eighth overall after earning the same number of points as the previous year. Significantly, following Wendlinger’s devastating Monaco accident and the horrific events of the San Marino Grand Prix, Sauber was a pioneer in the development of cockpit protection prototypes.
Mercedes left the company in 1995 and Ford took over Sauber, while two major sponsorship deals were signed with Red Bull and Petronas – now rivals for the energy drink company, which owns a team, with Petronas sponsoring the Mercedes factory effort.
As an independent team, Frentzen clinched the first of 10 podium finishes with a third place finish in Monza.
The team used Ferrari engines between 1997 and 2005, with success only as an established midfielder. A youthful Kimi Raikkonen was signed for 2001, much to the protest of fellow competitors given the Finn’s lack of experience. The decision to hire Raikkonen also cost Sauber ownership of Red Bull, as the company was unhappy with the decision not to hire preferred driver Enrique Bernoldi.
After impressing in his debut season, Raikkonen switched to McLaren when Felipe Massa came into the frame for Sauber. That being said, the past three years as a true independent have not been overwhelming results, with six third-place finishes in 13 seasons and two front-row starts signifying the team’s efforts.
BMW Clean – 2006-2009
With BMW entering and taking over the team as a works effort, results quickly began to improve. Nick Heidfeld clinched a podium in the second race of 2006 in Malaysia and while Jacques Villeneuve struggled in the former champion’s final season in F1, replacement Robert Kubica did not.
Between Heidfeld and Kubica, the team would finish fifth overall. 2007 was more famous for Kubica’s crash at the Canadian Grand Prix than any results – the Pole had to miss the US race due to his injuries. Sebastian Vettel made his debut for the team, becoming the youngest driver at the time to score a point in F1.
The first victory for the team came a year later when Kubica, returning to the scene of his horrific accident, emerged victorious in what remains Sauber’s only win under any banner.
2009 was a disappointment as the team dropped to sixth in the Constructors’ Championship and BMW withdrew from the team.
Sauber independence and Alfa Romeo partnership – 2010-present
With Sauber’s return to independent status came lean times throughout the decade, despite promising signals from Sergio Perez.
The Mexican notably took podiums in Italy and Malaysia in 2012 with superb drives, although he should have won at Sepang chasing Fernando Alonso.
A partnership with Alfa Romeo came about in 2018 when Ferrari junior Charles Leclerc breathed optimism into the team as it posted its best result in three years.
The team was renamed Alfa Romeo again with the addition of Antonio Giovinazzi and Raikkonen. Despite promising performances, the team struggled to break into midfield.
In three years together, the team has slipped from eighth to ninth place in the standings and with the retirement of both drivers – Räikkönen is retiring from the sport after 20 years – a new era begins in 2022 with Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou at the helm .
