The story of Team Sauber begins in the late 1960s, when Swiss electrician Peter Sauber decides that his future does not lie in the family business, which manufactures traffic lights and street lighting components in Hinwil. Young Peter finds work in the automotive sector as a salesman, but his passion for cars goes beyond mere sales; he begins assembling a prototype for hill climb races in his home garage. It's 1970, and the decision might seem odd in a country like Switzerland, which, following the 1955 Le Mans tragedy, had strictly banned car racing on its soil, with the rare exception of hill climb events. But Peter’s passion proves stronger than the obstacles, and from this passion the Sauber C1 is born, a prototype powered by a 1000cc Ford-Cosworth engine, where the “C” in the name stands for his wife Christine.
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| SAUBER C12, Karl Wendlinger Montréal, Canadian GP 1993 |
Initially, the C1 is driven by Peter himself and marks the beginning of a successful production run that soon establishes Sauber as the most important Swiss racing car manufacturer. In the following years, the C1 is driven by Friedrich Hürzeler, the 1971 C2 by Hans Kunis, and with the 1972 C3, designed by Guy Boisson, small-scale production begins for customer sales. The real leap in quality comes with the 1975 C5, a Group 6 prototype powered by a 2-liter BMW M12 engine, which brings the team its first international successes, such as winning the 1976 Interserie Championship with Herbert Müller at the wheel. In 1979, Sauber starts preparing Lola Formula 2 chassis, achieving many successes with various drivers, including Max Welti, who later becomes a partner and team manager of the Swiss team. From that point on, Sauber’s growth becomes exponential. In 1985, Sauber enters into an agreement with Mercedes, which was planning its return to the World Sportscar Championship after decades away, making Sauber its official racing team.
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| SAUBER C12, J.J. Lehto Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1993 |
Under the design direction of Leo Ress, legendary cars are born, such as the Sauber-Mercedes C8, which wins at Le Mans in 1989 with Jochen Mass and Martin Reuter, and the C9 and C11, which win the World Sports Prototype Championship titles in 1989 and 1990. When the official partnership with Mercedes ends, Sauber feels ready to take the big leap into Formula 1. Thus, the C12 is born, the first Sauber designed for the top tier of motorsport, set to debut in the 1993 season, with continued financial support from Mercedes, albeit unofficially.
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| SAUBER C12, J.J. Lehto Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 1993 |
The single-seater’s design is the work of longtime Sauber designer Leo Ress, with consultancy from Harvey Postlethwaite. It is equipped with the German Ilmor 2175A V10 engine, branded as a Sauber and renamed LH10 V10. Mario Ilien, the designer of the German V10, takes on the role of Chief Engine Developer and benefits from Mercedes' input for engine development, so much so that the engine cover bears the inscription "Concept by Mercedes-Benz." The chassis is a classic carbon fiber monocoque, the suspension is a mechanical push-rod design, and the gearbox is a semi-automatic six-speed unit by Xtrac, modified by Sauber’s engineers. The car’s aesthetics are sleek and clean, featuring a low, pointed nose, rounded side pods, and a very tapered engine cover, further enhanced by an all-black livery.
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| SAUBER C12, Karl Wendlinger Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1993 |
As lead driver, Sauber signs Mercedes Academy driver Karl Wendlinger, joined by experienced Finnish driver Jyrki Juhani Järvilehto (J.J. Lehto). The C12’s performance is impressive for a debut car with no electronic aids, and despite some reliability issues, the two drivers secure six points finishes, collecting a total of 12 points, allowing the Swiss team to finish seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.
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