Sauber's most famous F1 races as it transforms into Audi

For more than three decades, Sauber has occupied one of Formula 1’s most distinctive niches: an independent operation punching far above its weight.

From its Hinwil base, a facility that grew from a modest workshop into one of the championship’s most advanced wind tunnel and simulator complexes, the team established itself as the archetype of the resource-limited midfield outfit.

Across its journey as a full constructor, a BMW-backed manufacturer entrant, and finally as a Ferrari-powered independent once again, Sauber repeatedly found ways to disrupt the competitive hierarchy.

Its cars were rarely the fastest, but they were often the most aerodynamically efficient, mechanically sympathetic, or strategically opportunistic, qualities that allowed the team to seize results that belied its budget.

Drivers such as Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa, Robert Kubica, Sergio Pérez and Charles Leclerc all passed through Hinwil, often producing career-defining performances.

Now the team prepares to shed the Sauber name ahead of its full transformation into Audi for 2026.

The Hinwil organisation will remain, but the Sauber identity itself is about to disappear from the entry list.

Before that happens, we revisit some of the moments that made Sauber so distinctive.

1993 South African GP – Points on debut

Sauber arrived in Formula 1 as a complete newcomer, powered by Ilmor-built Mercedes-badged engines and carrying the last vestiges of Group C sports-car DNA.

Few expected much from a brand-new operation, but JJ Lehto stunned in Kyalami by finishing fifth on debut, giving the team points in its very first race.

It was a result that immediately signalled Sauber’s technical sophistication, particularly in the clean, predictable handling of the C12 – a car admired up and down the pitlane for its tidy aerodynamics and high build quality, not to mention its all-black livery.

The early points set the tone for a team that would, more often than not, overdeliver.

1995 Italian GP – The first podium

Sauber’s first Formula 1 podium arrived at Monza in 1995, two and a half seasons into its life as a constructor.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen had been quick all weekend in the aerodynamically tidy C14, a car that lacked outright power from its Ford V8 but excelled under low-downforce conditions thanks to Sauber’s characteristically efficient aero philosophy.

In a race defined by attrition and strategic missteps from larger teams, Frentzen executed a measured drive, running inside the top five from the opening laps and capitalising as rivals faltered.

When the chequered flag fell, third place delivered Sauber its first visit to the podium.

2001 Australian GP – Rookie Räikkönen in the points 

Sauber surprised the paddock in Melbourne by unleashing its unproven rookie pairing of Nick Heidfeld and Kimi Räikkönen – the latter having contested just 23 car races before reaching Formula 1.

Against expectations, the Finn delivered a composed debut, finishing sixth and scoring a point under the old system.

His race pace and calm execution immediately validated Peter Sauber’s risk in signing him, while the performance of the C20 hinted at the aerodynamic efficiency and mechanical stability that would carry the team to a breakout 2001 campaign.

2008 Canadian GP – Sauber’s only F1 win

This is the race that defined the BMW-Sauber era.

Robert Kubica capitalised on a chaotic afternoon – featuring the infamous Hamilton/Räikkönen pitlane crash – with a metronomic, controlled drive that delivered the team’s first and only victory.

Heidfeld’s second place completed a 1–2 finish, an almost unimaginable achievement for an outfit that had been a midfield privateer just two years earlier.

Officially the win belonged to BMW, but the chassis, operational sharpness and development philosophy were pure Hinwil.

2012 Malaysian GP – Perez nearly wins

Sergio Perez‘s charge towards Fernando Alonso in the final laps at Sepang remains one of the defining images of Sauber’s modern history. The C31 was an outstanding car – efficient, kind on its tyres, and aerodynamically progressive – and in monsoon-affected conditions Perez put everything together.

His pace advantage over Alonso was genuine, and without a late-race error he might have given Sauber its first win without manufacturer backing.

Even so, second place was a sensational result, achieved through strategic boldness and tyre preservation that perfectly exploited the team’s engineering strengths.

2012 Japanese GP – Kobayashi’s home podium

Few moments capture Sauber’s emotional resonance quite like Kamui Kobayashi‘s podium at Suzuka in 2012.

Kobayashi qualified a superb third, splitting the Red Bulls on raw pace, and then delivered a finely judged race under immense pressure in front of his home crowd.

Holding off a late-charging Jenson Button, Kobayashi managed tyre life and deployment with remarkable composure, securing third place and becoming the first Japanese driver in over two decades to stand on the podium at home.

2018 Azerbaijan GP – Leclerc’s breakthrough

After a difficult period marked by shrinking budgets and technical stagnation, the Alfa Romeo-branded Sauber team began to turn a corner in 2018, and Charles Leclerc‘s sixth place in Baku became the race that confirmed the revival.

Sauber had scored the previous season, thanks to Pascal Wehrlein’s eighth place in Spain, but those points were isolated moments rather than evidence of genuine upward momentum.

Leclerc’s drive in Azerbaijan changed that narrative. The C37’s Ferrari-aligned technical package and aerodynamic concept had shown quiet promise early in the year, but in Baku the rookie executed a calm, error-free race that revealed the car’s true competitiveness.

Rather than a lucky spike, Baku 2018 felt like the first sustained proof that Hinwil had rebuilt a foundation capable of fighting in the midfield again, and it marked the moment when Leclerc’s trajectory towards the front of the grid became unmistakable.

2025 British GP – One final podium

Sauber’s final season produced one last landmark moment at Silverstone in 2025, where Nico Hülkenberg finally claimed the first podium of his long Formula 1 career.

In a race shaped by gusty conditions and high-degradation stints, the latest iteration of the C45 came alive, offering the stability and tyre consistency Sauber machinery had often lacked at high-speed venues.

Hülkenberg executed a mistake-free drive, managing his tyres better than several faster cars and capitalising as the race unfolded around him.

His third place was both a personal breakthrough and a symbolic one for the team: a rare podium in its transitional Audi-bound phase, and a reminder of Hinwil’s ability to seize opportunities when the margins allowed.