Sauber have been on the grid in many forms since 1993, making them one of the memorable midfield teams in F1’s recent history.
Sauber’s run in the pinnacle of motorsport will be ending at the end of the 2025 season due to Audi taking over as the motoring giant aims to take on the likes of Mercedes and McLaren.
Sauber has taken on many forms in the three decades they’ve been involved with the sport. From the plain black liveries in 1993, to the iconic Red Bull sponsors in the early 2000s, to the neon green Kick liveries in 2024, Sauber have been one of those teams that simply fly under the radar.
Despite its lack of success, there have been many highs and lows for the Swiss outfit. Since 1993, Sauber have partnered up with all sorts of brands, including Mercedes, Red Bull, Petronas, BMW, Ferrari, and Alfa Romeo.
With so many iconic moments, here are five The Sport Review has picked out from the team’s short but memorable time in Formula One.
Scoring points on Sauber’s F1 debut
Sauber’s first-ever race in F1 was at the season-opener in Kyalami in 1993. Starting on the same grid as Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Nigel Mansell certainly added to the pressure for Sauber drivers JJ Lehto and Karl Wendlinger.
Starting with a Mercedes-backed engine program and two drivers who had a lot of experience in sports car racing, Sauber had a decent chance at grabbing a few points.
Lehto, a young and promising Finnish talent, scored two points, finishing ahead of drivers such as Gerhard Berger and Michael Schumacher.
This was only the beginning as the team went on to finish joint-sixth with Lotus in the constructors’ championship. The Sauber C12 was also praised for its reliability, allowing the team to capitalise on driver mistakes.
Scoring points on debut is a feat few teams have achieved in F1, which is something Sauber should be proud of.
Sauber’s finish as a privateer team
The 2001 Brazilian Grand Prix will go down in history as the race that gave Sauber their best finish in the constructors’ championship, placing in P4 ahead of teams like Jordan, BAR, and Benetton.
The team from Hinwil had the grid’s most inexperienced lineup at the time with Nick Heidfeld and Kimi Raikkonen, who the team had signed after just 23 races in single-seater cars.
The pair finished P4 and P5, respectively, allowing Sauber to leapfrog Jordan and BAR to claim their highest finish as a privateer team.
The race result also set Raikkonen up for a move to McLaren to replace compatriot Mika Hakkinen for the 2002 season.
Sauber’s first and last win in F1
The 2008 season proved to be very successful for Sauber as they fought hard with Ferrari and McLaren for race wins and podiums. Led by Heidfeld and Robert Kubica, the Swiss team had big expectations ahead of the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
A pitlane collision meant that title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen were out of the race, leaving Kubica to cruise to victory, claiming Sauber’s first and most likely last win. Heidfeld finished runner-up, giving Sauber a 1-2 finish.
This was a memorable win for the Pole as he had an almost career-ending crash at the previous year’s Canadian Grand Prix.
Although they didn’t pick up any more victories that season and beyond, this result remains one of the most popular and well-deserved wins in F1 history.
Kamui Kobayashi’s emotional podium at Suzuka
Kamui Kobayashi had an almost cult-like following in F1. Despite having no victories, his overtaking style and wheel-to-wheel action are still talked about on social media over a decade after he left the sport.
His performance at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix was perhaps his most memorable, earning Sauber their first podium in nine years.
The Japanese driver started on the second row at his home race and excellently defended P3 from Jenson Button in the closing stages of the race.
Kobayashi’s performance was a reminder that F1 can produce unexpected and emotional moments, becoming the first Japanese driver to score a podium at Suzuka since Aguri Suzuki in 1990.
Nico Hulkenberg’s sensational podium at the 2025 British Grand Prix
It took Nico Hulkenberg 239 attempts to stand on the podium, and the 2025 British Grand Prix was his lucky break.
2025 has been a great year for Sauber as they have had their best start to a season in over a decade, with multiple points finishes and now finally a podium.
With Gabriel Bortoleto making his debut in 2025, his first few races have been extremely impressive, whereas other rookies have succumbed to team pressure and have underperformed.
Whether next year’s Audi F1 project will continue the great results that both Hulkenberg and Bortoleto have delivered remains to be seen.