A detailed look at the profile of Formula 1 team, Sauber – Part 1
Sauber became a part of Formula 1 back in 1993 and instantly, the team was able to make its mark as a mid-running team in its debut Formula 1 season.
The team is headed by Peter Sauber who has been one of the most inspirational team principals in the sport as he has been helping young drivers a lot.
Sauber are one of those teams who grooms and introduce young talented drivers to Formula 1 and then enables them to perform at their best for the top running teams of the sport.
The team has been producing good mid-field performances since their debut and even now, they are considered as an ‘academy’ or an ‘in-Formula 1 experience’ for new drivers as a result of which, the team has made its name amongst some of the most established
teams of the sport.
Nevertheless, after a pretty decent debut Formula 1 season, the team headed on to their second season which was once again quite satisfactory for the team as they finished in 8th place in the constructors’ standings with 12 points.
1995 was a lot better for Sauber as they secured 18 points in order to take the 7th place in the constructors’ standings with the help of a driver like Heinz Herald Frentzen. Frentzen joined Williams in the later 90s and helped
the team in securing the constructors’ title.
We can say that Frentzen was the team’s first ‘creation.’ He drove for the team for 2 years and proved his worth in the Formula 1 world. In 1997, the team secured the 7th place once again in the constructors’ standings with the
help of 16 points and it was quite obvious by then that Sauber were quite consistent and reliable.
1998 was no different either as the team secured the 6th place in the constructors’ standings with the help of 10 points. In the 90’s, it was the team’s best constructors’ performance after which, the team finished in the 8th
place in the following two years.
When Sauber became a part of Formula 1, they used their own engines but after a year, they started using Mercedes engines. After using those for just a single year, the team shifted to Ford engines for 2 years after which they settled with Petronas as their
engine suppliers for their next 9 seasons in the sport.
2001 was a groundbreaking year for the team though as they introduced 2 of the most well-known and experienced drivers of the sport. Sauber signed the 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen alongside Nick Heidfeld.
Both of these drivers have scored some pretty good results as Kimi joined McLaren and Ferrari after leaving Sauber while Nick drove for the team for 3 years and is now currently driving for Lotus Renault GP in the 2011 Formula 1 season.
Either way, the team finished in 4th place in the constructors’ standings with the help of 21 points which is the team’s best statistical constructors’ performance to date.
Since then, the team has been trying its best to improve its performance as they are aware of the fact that they even have the ability to score podiums and compete alongside the top running teams if they have good drivers who can squeeze as much performance
as they can out of a respective car.
Continued in Part 2…
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