Even though they have never ascended to the top tier of Formula 1 in a sustainable manner, Sauber has always been a steady presence (under various names) ever since their debut in 1993.
Much like that clip from a week ago where we got to ride on board with every single McLaren F1 car in history, here we’re looking at more of the same, except that Sauber’s story doesn’t go as far back as McLaren’s, obviously.
Over the course of 23 years, Sauber’s Formula 1 cars have managed 27 total podium finishes, one pole position, 5 fastest laps and most importantly one win, which came under BMW management at the 2008 Canadian GP where Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finished P1 & P2.
Long before there was BMW, Sauber was powered by Mercedes-Benz engines (93-94), by Ford (95-96), Ferrari (97-05), then came BMW (06-09) and after that it was back to Ferrari power, which is what the team is using today.
Their best seasons were undoubtedly 2007 and 2008 when BMW Sauber finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Constructors standings. Aside from a 4th place finish as Red Bull Sauber Petronas in 2001, the team has never finished a season anywhere above fifth place.
The video will take you through all of those time periods, from their most successful season to their least and the action does not disappoint. Here’s a tip: watching Jean Alesi wrestle his car around Suzuka (1998) is a real treat.