Vital Statistics:
- Founded: 1993
- Based: Hinwil, Switzerland
- World Constructors' Titles: 0
- World Drivers' Titles: 0
- Grand Prix Victories: 0
- Pole Positions: 0
Peter Sauber: Peter was one of the quietest, least ostentatious team owners of the last decade and a half. He built his team from nothing to at first succeed in sports car racing in the late 1980s and early 1990s before joining Formula 1 in 1993. Although Sauber brought Mercedes into Formula 1 as an engine supplier, the German company decided in 1995 to join McLaren, and Sauber was left looking for an engine elsewhere. The team enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with Ferrari engines, from 1997 to 2005 - although they were badged with the Petronas name - and Peter was one of the most successful of the private team owners.
Mario Theissen: Mario has a doctorate in mechanical engineering and he has worked at BMW since 1977. He became the head of BMW Motorsport in 1999, a year before BMW began racing in F1 as an engine provider to the Williams team. Theissen worked closely with the Williams team throughout the BMW Williams relationship, and although the team looked headed for success, finishing second in the championship in both 2002 and 2003, by 2004 the relationship began to fall apart. Theissen criticized the Williams chassis, while Williams criticized BMW. The German then organized the move to buy out the Sauber team.
A Brief History: The Sauber team was one of the strongest of the private teams at the beginning of the manufacturers' era. Although the team never won a race or even scored pole position, it finished in sixth place in the series in 1993 and maintained roughly the same level throughout its 13 years in F1. Sauber finished as high as fourth in 2001. But with annual budgets rising into hundreds of millions of dollars, it could no longer compete, and sold out to BMW, with 2005 being the last season strictly under the Sauber name. Peter Sauber ceased to run the team at the end of that year.
A First Season: After its first season, BMW's split with Williams looked like the right move. BMW finished sixth in the series with 36 points, and scored two third places, while Williams finished eighth and took no podium finishes. BMW then showed strong progress in winter testing as it prepared for the 2007 season.
The Future: Often criticized by F1 watchers both for leaving Williams and for his treatment of Jacques Villeneuve, Theissen has shown in his first season running the new team that he is capable of making good decisions that make results. If the team continues to develop with the same speed it has been doing so far, then it will soon challenge the more established teams such as McLaren, Renault and Ferrari for the title. With a solid driver in Nick Heidfeld and the hungry and fast Robert Kubica, BMW also has a strong team of drivers necessary for earning regular points and victories.
