The Swiss team based in Hinwil, near Zurich, in 2004 absolutely needed to redeem itself after the disappointing 2003 season, poor in results and undeniably below the expectations of Team Principal Peter Sauber. Without yet having its own wind tunnel available, the Sauber engineers were practically forced to continue developing the previous C22. However, the team’s Technical Director, German engineer from Düsseldorf Willy Rampf, declared that he had chosen a pragmatic approach by taking the most successful car of 2003, the Ferrari F2003-GA, as a model, while also using the latest updates introduced on the C22 in the final races of the previous season.
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| SAUBER C23, Felipe Massa Imola, San Marino GP 2004 |
The team of engineers working under Rampf’s directives remained practically the same as in 2003, with Christoph Zimmermann as Head of Chassis Design, Phil Arnaboldi as Head of Car Concept, and Seamus Mullarkey as Head of Aerodynamics. Alongside Mullarkey, in the crucial aerodynamic department, worked South African engineer Dirk de Beer (Principal Aerodynamicist), who would go on to have a brilliant Formula 1 career working for several top teams (Renault, Lotus, Ferrari, Williams, and Alpine). The role of Engineering Director, previously held by Leo Rees, was instead assigned to Belgian engineer Jacky Eeckelaert, from Antwerp, who since 1995 had overseen Peugeot’s Formula 1 engine development program and in 1999 had joined Sauber as race engineer for several drivers, including future World Champion Kimi Räikkönen.
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| SAUBER C23, Felipe Massa Melbourne, Australian GP 2004 |
According to statements released by Eeckelaert, the new C23 marked the beginning of a new cycle for the Swiss team’s single-seaters, no longer derived from the C20 like the previous C21 and C22, but instead being a completely new car. It featured an all-new chassis design, smaller, lighter, and stronger, as well as completely new push-rod suspension both front and rear. The real breakthrough of the new C23, however, was the engine: from 2004 the Hinwil team continued to use a Ferrari V10, rebranded by supplier Petronas as the 04A, but in its latest version, practically the same unit used by the Maranello cars. The synergies with Ferrari did not stop there, as Ferrari also supplied Sauber with the gearbox and rear suspension. Although Sauber himself insisted on the independence of his team, which operated with a very limited budget (about 150 million Swiss Francs at the time), it was clear that Sauber had essentially become the junior team of the Italian outfit.
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| SAUBER C23, Giancarlo Fisichella Interlagos, Brazilian GP 2004 |
The presentation of the new C23 was a grand event, held in Hangar 7 at Salzburg airport, a hangar owned by Red Bull, which was again the main sponsor of the Swiss team in 2004. More than just a hangar, Salzburg airport’s Hangar 7 looked like a glass cathedral, a high-tech temple with cutting-edge design, an ideal setting to unveil the new C23, complete with a fireworks display and a performance by British pop group Sugarbabes. Alongside the Austrian “soft drink giant,” the livery of the Sauber cars continued to feature Malaysian oil company Petronas and Credit Suisse, while retaining the same colors as the previous car. The driver lineup, however, changed: Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and Brazilian Felipe Massa (Ferrari’s test and third driver in 2003, reinforcing the bond with the Italian team) joined, while Swiss Neel Jani remained as third driver.
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| SAUBER C23, Giancarlo Fisichella Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian GP 2004 |
Despite the car’s mechanical reliability, with only five retirements during the whole season, the C23 remained a midfield car, only occasionally able to deliver standout performances. The start of the championship was forgettable, with the car still plagued by the old problems already seen with the C22. Massa’s eighth place in Malaysia and Fisichella’s seventh in Spain were the only points scored in the first five races. From the Monaco Grand Prix onwards, however, things improved, thanks also to a series of aerodynamic updates. In Monte Carlo, Massa finished fifth, and from the next race Fisichella managed to string together an almost uninterrupted sequence of points finishes, while the Brazilian only returned to the points in the final stages of the championship. At the end of the season, the results were clear: the Swiss cars collected 34 points, compared to 19 in 2003, confirming Sauber as the sixth force in the championship. Fisichella scored 22 points, his best career result, surpassed only in the following two years when he raced for Renault alongside Fernando Alonso.
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