Kick Sauber - Year by Year

Everything you need to know about Kick Sauber's F1 history from 1993 on. Follow your favourite Kick Sauber drivers through the years and celebrate top moments.

2024

Fall to last in standings as C44 proves woefully slow, with early races also hampered by pit stop issues. Only in final few rounds does competitiveness improve, with Zhou Guanyu scoring the squad’s sole points-finish with a P8 in Qatar. Former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto joins.

LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - NOVEMBER 30: Zhou Guanyu of China driving the (24) Kick Sauber C44 Ferrari on

2023

Final season competing under the Alfa Romeo moniker is a disappointing one, as team drop to ninth overall in the constructors’ table. Best results are P8s for Valtteri Bottas in Bahrain and Qatar.

alfa-romeo-tbt-2023.png

2022

Move up three places in the standings, with Valtteri Bottas relishing his team leader role and rookie Zhou Guanyu more than earning his place. Make the headlines late season with news that the team will become the Audi works squad from 2026.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 11: Valtteri Bottas of Finland driving the (77) Alfa Romeo F1 C42

2021

Fall to ninth in the table behind Williams, with 10 of their 13 points scored by former champion Kimi Raikkonen, who calls time on his F1 career at the end of the season. Prepare all-new line-up of ex-Mercedes racer Valtteri Bottas and Chinese newcomer Zhou Guanyu for 2022.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 12: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Alfa Romeo Racing

2020

Another season of infrequent highs – both cars scoring points at their home race of Imola, and both making Q3 in Turkey – again ends with P8 overall, Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi amassing just eight points between them.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - DECEMBER 15: Robert Kubica of Poland driving the (88) Alfa Romeo

2019

Progress slows, as the C38 proves frustratingly inconsistent, even with the experienced Kimi Raikkonen at the wheel. Nevertheless retain P8 in the standings, 22 of their 57 points coming at the season’s eventful penultimate round in Brazil.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 01: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Alfa Romeo Racing walks in the Paddock

2018

Team Principal Fred Vasseur steers his squad on a surprisingly rapid upward path, their Ferrari-powered C37 proving increasingly competitive, particularly in the hands of rookie star Charles Leclerc, who scores 39 of their 48 points – a total almost 10 times their 2017 tally.

MONTE-CARLO, MONACO - MAY 26: Marcus Ericsson of Sweden driving the (9) Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team

2017

Another tough campaign ends with just a five championship points. However, the mid-season arrival of Frederic Vasseur as team principal, followed by an Alfa Romeo title sponsorship deal for 2017 plus the signing of Ferrari protege Charles Leclerc, all bodes well for a brighter future.

Frederic Vasseur, French motor sport engineer, Team Principal of Swiss based F1 Sauber Motorsport

2016

Lack of funding in the first part of the year means limited development, leaving the team woefully off the pace. Matters improve after mid-season arrival of new owners, and Felipe Nasr scores the only two points of their campaign at the penultimate round in Brazil, giving them a last-gasp top-ten finish in the final standings ahead of Manor.

HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY - JULY 31: Felipe Nasr of Brazil driving the (12) Sauber F1 Team Sauber C35

2015

Recover to eighth in the standings with much-improved C34 car. Rookie driver Felipe Nasr proves a revelation, his partnership with Marcus Ericsson garnering points at nine of the season's 19 rounds.

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 12:  Teammates Felipe Nasr of Brazil and Sauber F1 and Marcus Ericsson of

2014

Endure worst season in team's history, ending a campaign pointless for the first time. Despite Sutil's and Gutierrez's best efforts, uncompetitive C33 proves hard to master and the former's 11th places in Australia and Hungary are their best results.

Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez of Mexico crashes ahead of Lotus driver Pastor Maldonado of

2013

C32 notable at launch for unique narrow sidepod design, but initially fails to live up to expectations. Benefits significantly from mid-season tyre revisions, with Hulkenberg qualifying third and finishing fifth in Italy as team score 50 of 57 season points in last eight rounds.

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29:  Nico Hulkenberg of Germany and Sauber F1 drives during the final

2012

Season starts well, with Perez earning high praise for impressive podiums in Malaysia and Canada. C31 proves a competent, all-round package and, though inconsistent, Perez and Kobayashi add further podiums in Italy and Japan in the second half of the season.

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 09:  Sergio Perez of Mexico and Sauber F1 celebrates on the podium after

2011

Strong first half of season from Kobayashi and Perez, with regular Q3 presences and top-ten finishes. Perez misses Monaco after qualifying crash, then sits out Canada where Pedro de la Rosa steps in. Difficult end to year but Perez and Kobayashi stay for 2012.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 26:  Sergio Perez of Mexico and Sauber F1 drives during qualifying for

2010

Ferrari-powered C29's pace and reliability initially disappoints. Long-term technical director Willy Rampf replaced by James Key, ex-Force India. Performance gradually improves, with regular top-ten appearances. Nick Heidfeld replaces Pedro de la Rosa for final five rounds.

Sauber-Ferrari driver Kamui Kobayashi of Japan prepares to drive during the first free practise

2009

Slow to adjust to new regulations. Podiums in Malaysia & Brazil are rare highlights in tough year in which they drop to sixth in standings. BMW announce they will withdraw from F1 at end of season and in November sell team back to founder Peter Sauber.

MONTE CARLO, MONACO - MAY 23:  Nick Heidfeld of Germany and BMW Sauber drives during qualifying for

2008

Radical F1.08 proves highly effective, powering Robert Kubica to the team's first win in Canada and turning them into genuine title contenders, with podiums at nine other races. Late-season developments less effective, but still finish third with an impressive 135 points.

BMW Sauber team members Nick Heidfeld (centre left blue cap), Mario Theissen (centre left holding

2007

From the outset occupy the 'best of the rest' slot behind Ferrari and McLaren, scoring in all 17 races, including two podiums. Heidfeld proves the dominant driver, but despite a brutal accident in Canada, Kubica also records several strong finishes.

Montreal, CANADA: BMW Sauber driver, Robert Kubica of Poland crashes hard at the hairpin turn

2006

Fifth in standings in first campaign under BMW control, despite early reliability problems. Part company with Jacques Villeneuve mid season, replacement Robert Kubica scoring Italian podium, matching team mate Nick Heidfeld's Hungarian result.

Budapest, HUNGARY:  German BMW Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld drives his car at the Hungaroring

2005

In June, Peter Sauber announces he is to step down as team principal after negotiating a takeover by BMW for 2006.

MUNICH, Germany:  Mario Theissen (L), director of German car maker BMW's motorsport department, and

2004

Major wind tunnel investment pays off handsomely with impressively consistent season. Score points in 12 races to finish a lonely sixth in the constructors' table. Sign former champion Jacques Villeneuve for 2005.

SPA FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM - AUGUST 28: Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy and Sauber in action during

2003

Difficult season, with points at only five (mostly wet) races. Best result Indianapolis, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen third, Nick Heidfeld fifth. Also sees team lead a Grand Prix for first time. Both drivers dropped for '04. Sixth in constructors' championship.

INDIANAPOLIS, UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 28:  GP der USA 2003, Indianapolis; 3. Heinz-Harald

2002

Eleven points is enough to give team fifth place in the constructors' championship. The best result of the season is fourth and fifth in the Spanish Grand Prix.

INDIANAPOLIS - SEPTEMBER 29:  Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld of Germany in action during the US

2001

The team's best-ever season with fourth place in the constructors' championship.

29 Sep 2001: Nick Heidfeld of Sauber and Germany in the pits during practice for the USA Formula

2000

Finish eighth in the constructors' championship with only six points. The highest finishes are two fifth places in Germany and Monaco. Both cars withdrawn from the Brazilian Grand Prix after spectacular rear wing failures.

21 Oct 2000:  Pedro Diniz of Brazil and Sauber in action during the fourth free practice session

1997

Best performance of the season is Johnny Herbert's third in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Motorsport / Formel 1: GP von Ungarn 1997, Johnny Herbert ( ENG , Red Bull Sauber Petronas )

1996

Johnny Herbert third for the team at the Monaco Grand Prix, team mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen taking fourth place. Team finish seventh in the constructors' championship.

Johnny Herbert of Great Britain drives the #14 Red Bull Sauber Ford Sauber C15 Ford Zetec-R V10

1995

Team achieve first podium as Heinz-Harald Frentzen finishes third at Monza.

8th SEPT 1995: HEINZ-HARALD FRENTZEN OF GERMANY IN HIS SAUBER AT PRACTICE FOR THE ITALIAN GRAND

1993

Team manage a scoring finish in their first Grand Prix with J.J. Lehto taking fifth in South Africa. End the season sixth in the constructors' championship with 12 points.

JJ Lehto, Sauber C12, Grand Prix of Japan, Suzuka Circuit, 24 October 1993. (Photo by Paul-Henri