Autoblog

Race Recap: 2013 Chinese Grand Prix a test of tires, carnage and a fight for second [spoilers]

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, China, Infiniti, Lotus, Ferrari, Renault, Racing, McLaren

Formula One fans and commentators have spent the three weeks since the Malaysian Grand Prix discussing two things more than any other: that pass, and tires. Sebastian Vettel spent days giving his tongue an Olympic workout on the verbal gymnastics parallel bars before finally admitting he passed his Infiniti Red Bull teammate Mark Webber on purpose partly for reasons of payback, partly out of a desire to win - he doesn't apologize for it and he would do it again.

Then came those Pirellis - every single driver and team representative interview touches on how important it is to understand the tires and manage their degradation. Two races in, though, it seems no team has any clue yet how to make the race-weekend compounds work predictably. The only thing predictable about the soft compound tires that Pirelli brought to China was that they would last for six laps, and that led to an odd qualifying session with drivers reluctant to leave the pits or even set a time.

It also led to the first pole position for an Englishman in a Mercedes-Benz since Stirling Moss did it in 1955.

Continue reading Race Recap: 2013 Chinese Grand Prix a test of tires, carnage and a fight for second [spoilers]

Race Recap: 2013 Chinese Grand Prix a test of tires, carnage and a fight for second [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sauber's C32 Formula One car rolls out

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

Sauber Motorsports F1 has launched the most radical of this season's Formula One cars to date, its C32 getting a partially stepped nose, exceptionally narrow sidepods and a wasp-waisted rear end. Lotus F1's technical director said he expected other teams to stick with the stepped nose, but everyone else so far has opted for a vanity panel; only Sauber has even come close to keeping the step, with the step being visible from the front but the profile view being a smooth line to the cockpit.

The sidepods and pull-rod rear suspension are completely new, Sauber's chief designer focused on getting the slimmest and most aerodynamic rear end possible. The radiator placement is brand new, and the Coanda exhaust design and placement of the exhaust outlets are different compared to the C31.

The team scored fifth in last year's championship but team principal Monisha Kaltenborn isn't making any predictions for this year's performance. Understandable since this is her first full year at the helm, and with two new drivers, one of them a rookie. But the C32 is derived from the C31, which was believed to have great balance, treated its tires well, delivered four podiums and got the team to within 16 points of the much better funded Mercedes F1 team. If their innovations work, it could be another good season for the Swiss team. You can watch the car revealed at its Hinwil headquarters in the video below.

Continue reading Sauber's C32 Formula One car rolls out

Sauber's C32 Formula One car rolls out originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Schumacher retiring from F1 again, 'might be forever'

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Mercedes-Benz

Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher said this morning that he will retire at the end of the current season. Just last week, Mercedes-Benz announced that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing Schumacher for the 2013 F1 season.

Schumacher didn't completely quell the rumors of his taking a spot with another racing outfit next season - Sauber has been mentioned as a potentially soft landing place for the German - saying only that the retirement, "...might be forever."

In an interview with the Associated Press following the Japanese Gran Prix, Schumacher recounted, "Although I was able and capable of competing with the best drivers that are around, at some point it's time to say goodbye and this time it might be forever."

Schumacher retired for the first time following the 2006 F1 season, choosing to return with Mercedes in 2010. Despite being the most successful driver in the history of the sport, Schumacher has underwhelmed in the intervening years since his comeback.

Michael Schumacher retiring from F1 again, 'might be forever' originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen planning to enter F1 in 2015

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Volkswagen

For three years we have ridden the high seas when it comes to Volkswagen's reported entry into Formula One. In 2009, the German juggernaut's interest was piqued by the idea of supplying engines when the new regulations mandated 1.6-liter turbocharged V6s in 2014. By the end of 2010, it was said that VW had decided not to join the F1 circus, but that hasn't stopped repeated speculative announcements to the contrary.

Just three months ago Jost Capito, VW's recently christened head of motorsport, said VW wouldn't enter F1. But he was speaking for the VW brand, not the group - and that is perhaps why we can have a brand new report sourced from Germany's Sport Bild magazine (we can't locate the report on the Sport Bild site, though) that the VW Group is considering entering F1 in 2015 with Sauber. Peter Sauber is said to have admitted meeting VW CEO Martin Winterkorn at the Geneva Motor Show this year, but Sauber F1 team CEO Monisha Kaltenborn said that's where the story ends.

Not according to the Sport Bild report, though: it says not only is VW looking to partner with Sauber, but longer term it could be planning its own chassis that would be designed at the Porsche Motorsport Centre in Weissach, Germany, where Porsche is also working on its Le Mans entrant. Could VW have big things in mind for its newest carmaker acquisition? Porsche has said it's focused on Le Mans and not F1, but who knows, and we wouldn't complain about a Porsche-McLaren-Lotus/Renault-Mercedes-AMG battle in the series. It would also be interesting to see if Volkswagen could succeed as a constructor, an effort at in which other German brands have so far failed in the modern era.

The 2015 timing is odd, but the mentioned team might not be. Sauber is doing amazingly well this year with hardly any sponsorship at all, much less manufacturer backing: both its drivers are in the top ten, and it is the sixth in the constructor standings behind the manufacturers and Red Bull Racing. And we're sure it's just coincidence that Jost Capito was an executive and COO at the Sauber Red Bull Racing F1 team for five years from 1996-2001.

Volkswagen planning to enter F1 in 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sauber cuts F1 car in half to show us what's inside

Noah Joseph — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Technology, Videos

Looking at the outside of a Formula One race car is all well and fine, but apart from its aerodynamic elements, it really doesn't tell you very much about how it works. The secrets, as with a great many things, are hidden inside. And that's not a place many F1 teams - hard as they've worked on developing their cars and keeping their inner workings secret - would be eager to show to the world.

However most teams, in this instance, would not include Sauber. The Swiss squad founded by Peter Sauber has given starts to such notables as Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Nick Heidfeld, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. And now the engineers in Hinwil have taken one of their cars and split it in two - lengthwise right down the center-line - to show us the juicy bits inside.

The endeavor could not have been as easy as taking a chainsaw or even a Goldfinger-style laser and cutting it in two. In fact, the task took the team two years to complete, and all you have to do is scroll down and watch the video to see the results.

Continue reading Sauber cuts F1 car in half to show us what's inside

Sauber cuts F1 car in half to show us what's inside originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did Ferrari order Sergio Perez to back off of Fernando Alonso in Malaysia?

Noah Joseph — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Ferrari, Rumormill

If you were watching the Malaysian Grand Prix early Sunday morning, you may have picked up on something that seemed a little fishy. Sergio Perez, who's only in his second year on the Formula One grid having debuted with Sauber just last season, was way up in second place, ahead of proven race winners and World Champions. That was surprising enough, but what raised some eyebrows is what happened when he closed the gap in front of him to Fernando Alonso, who was leading the race in the Ferrari F2012.

According to Autosport, after impressively whittling down the gap Alonso had opened up behind him, Perez (pictured above in the parc ferme with Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali) received a radio message from Sauber strategists advising him to be careful. Shortly thereafter, Perez went wide off the track and lost Alonso. The young Mexican pilot still finished second - an unprecedentedly strong finish for Sauber - but many wondered if the message wasn't a code passed on from Ferrari, which supplies Sauber's engines.

Of course, Sauber, for its part, is denying the rumors, but it wouldn't be the first time in F1 that a leading team had told a midfield or back-marker team to which it supplied engines to reel in one of its drivers in the interest of preserving the front-runner's position. We'll probably never know the truth, but one thing's for sure: Perez is a rising talent in Formula One, and Alonso had better get used to watching out for him.

Did Ferrari order Sergio Perez to back off of Fernando Alonso in Malaysia? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sauber stays hungry in F1 with new C31

Noah Joseph — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

Hunger is palpable in Formula One racing. The teams at the front are hungry for wins, while the teams at the back are hungry to claw their way up the field. But Sauber is just starving.

The Switzerland-based privateer team owned and operated by Peter Sauber has been struggling to find financial backing since BMW divested back in 2009. But somehow the team still manages to stay afloat, though to what end we have to wonder when the second and third places it achieved under Bavarian ownership in 2007 and 2008 have since dropped off dramatically to eighth and seventh in the past two seasons.

This year Sauber returns with little in the way of sponsorship and two relative newcomers in Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez behind the wheel. James Key has stepped down from his position as the team's technical director, an opening which Sauber does not intend to immediately fill. Engines are provided once more by Ferrari, and the nose is stepped and the hind-quarters tapered in similar fashion to most of the other cars revealed thus far.

Will this season and the new C31 chassis be the ticket towards Sauber finding sustenance in the most competitive of motorsports? We'll have to wait and see, but in the meantime you can check out the expansive gallery of high-resolution images from the launch at Jerez and the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Sauber stays hungry in F1 with new C31

Sauber stays hungry in F1 with new C31 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Murdoch's News Corp considering Formula 1 takeover

Chris Shunk — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Earnings/Financials, Rumormill

You've probably heard the old saying that the best way to make a small fortune in Formula One racing is to start with a big fortune. The Telegraph in the UK is reporting that Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. may be looking to put that saying to the test, as the media empire is reportedly engaged in early talks to take over the popular global racing series. The talks reportedly also include Sauber sponsor Carlos Slim, who happens to be among the richest men in the world, and companies connected to at least one of F1's car manufacturers.

The talks are reportedly so fresh that they have not yet involved private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, which currently holds the keys to the racing series. F1 has proven to be popular with its fan base, though there have been plenty financial of struggles as many automakers and banks have bailed on the sport.

Another option for Murdoch (above) is to make a play to buy the broadcast rights to F1. The move could generate more money for the sport, while giving it a larger worldwide spotlight.

Since these talks are little more than rumor at this point, it's difficult to discern whether anything will come of it. But given Carlos Slim's love the sport and News Corp's history of shelling out big bucks for NFL broadcasting rights, we'd add that anything is possible.

[Source: Telegraph | Image: Mark Wilson/Getty]

Rumormill: Murdoch's News Corp considering Formula 1 takeover originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sauber unveils new C30 Ferrari-powered F1 challenger

Noah Joseph — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Racing

2011 Sauber-Ferrari C30 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Divorce can be particularly difficult on the children. Sauber found that out the hard way when BMW picked up and left at the end of 2009, leaving the team to fend for itself. With the Bavarian automaker's support, the Sauber team had turned from a solid midfielder to a front-running challenger, finishing the 2007 championship in second place. Last year, Sauber struggled with reliability issues and sponsor troubles to finish eighth in the constructors' standings.

If last season was a transition year for Sauber, this year will bring its opportunity to climb back up, and this is the car with which they hope to do so. Called the C30, the new car bears many of the same hallmarks adopted by its rival teams, with a high front nose, more sculpted side-pods and a slender rear section with an integrated diffuser design. It's engine is provided by Ferrari - just as it was last year and in the pre-BMW years - as is the regenerative braking system.

Perhaps most crucial, however, are the sponsors Sauber has brought on board for this season. By signing Sergio Perez, a promising young Mexican driver who won five GP2 races last season to finish second behind Williams' Pastor Maldonado, Sauber has recruited a number of Mexican sponsors, including Carlos Slim's Telmex and Cuervo tequila. So far, however, Sauber has been unable to attract Japanese sponsors to the team despite retaining Perez' returning wingman Kamui Kobayashi, who stands as the only Japanese driver on the grid, and the only contemporary Japanese driver to make it in F1 without the support of a Japanese automaker.

Will Sauber be able to pull itself back from the brink where it stood this time last year and mount a challenge for a couple of podium positions? Time will tell, but for now you can read more about the new car in the press release after the jump and ogle it in the high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Sauber-Ferrari C30

[Source: Sauber]

Continue reading Sauber unveils new C30 Ferrari-powered F1 challenger

Sauber unveils new C30 Ferrari-powered F1 challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sauber engineers also ambushed in Brazil

Alex Nunez — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, South America

Jenson Button wasn't the only member of Bernie Ecclestone's traveling Formula One circus victimized by Sao Paolo's rampant criminal element yesterday. Sauber Motorsport says that three of its engineers were also robbed after leaving the Interlagos circuit last night around 8pm. While stopped at a traffic light, the group's minivan was reportedly surrounded by five robbers, one carrying an automatic weapon. The van's front passenger opened his door in response to the threat, and the bandits made off with a pair of backpacks, one of which contained a staffer's passport and phone among other items. After taking the bags, the thieves left, and no injuries were reported. The local police were informed of the incident, for whatever that's worth. Thanks for the tip, Pasi!

[Source: TotalF1.com]

Sauber engineers also ambushed in Brazil originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sauber F1 goes Mexican with Carlos Slim and new drivers

Noah Joseph — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

The dream of having an American team in Formula One may be dead, but that doesn't mean our friends South of the Border can't take a stab at it. A couple of years ago, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim was tied to potentially buying out Honda's F1 team when the Japanese automaker was preparing to withdraw from the sport. That deal never came to be, but the world's wealthiest man (having recently surpassed the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett) appears to be moving in on the Sauber team.

After racing for years as an independent team, Sauber sold out to BMW a few years back, which then subsequently followed Honda off the grid, leaving Peter Sauber to support the team on his own once again. Strapped for cash, the team has been racing plain white cars largely without major sponsorship this season, but a new deal could secure the team's future.

The deal involves sponsorship from Slim's company Telmex for an untold amount. Along with it, Sauber has signed Mexican driver Sergio Perez to a race seat for next season. Perez won the national class in British Formula Three back in 2007, drove for Team Mexico in A1GP and has won several races in GP2, a series in which he currently sits second. He's never driven an F1 car, though, but will race alongside Kamui Kobayashi next season. The news leaves Nick Heidfeld without a seat yet again as Perez signs as well with the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Coupled with the recently-announced contract to bring in GP3 champion Esteban Gutierrez, who also races under the Mexican flag as the team's test/reserve driver for next season, the news gives the struggling Swiss team a decidedly picante flavor for the upcoming season.

[Source: Sauber]

Continue reading Sauber F1 goes Mexican with Carlos Slim and new drivers

Sauber F1 goes Mexican with Carlos Slim and new drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Williams, Sauber give emerging talents their shot at the big leagues

Noah Joseph — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, BMW

A growing array of F1 teams have been developing young driver programs over the past few years. BMW ranked high among them while competing in the top-tier racing series, but in its absence, the teams it partnered with have picked up the proverbial mantle.

Williams Grand Prix, which ran with BMW engines and factory support from 2000-2005, is giving a test drive to one Dean Stoneman. The 20-year-old Brit recently won the Formula 2 title, a series to which Williams supplies the spec chassis.

After parting company with Williams, BMW acquired the Sauber F1 team, from which it has since divested. The Swiss outfit has likewise announced the signing of Esteban Gutierrez - pictured right, with Peter Sauber - as its test and reserve driver for next season.

The 19-year-old Mexican driver, who's been affiliated with the team for a couple of years now, recently claimed the championship in the new GP3 series, driving for the ART Grand Prix team run by Nicolas Todt, manager of former Sauber driver (and current Ferrari pilot) Felipe Massa, and son of FIA president and former Ferrari chief Jean Todt. Ferrari has had longstanding ties with Sauber, and currently supplies their engines.

Both drivers will be lining up alongside other aspiring talents at the post-season F1 young driver test in Abu Dhabi this coming November.

[Sources: Autosport, pitpass]

Williams, Sauber give emerging talents their shot at the big leagues originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heidfeld in, de la Rosa out at Sauber F1

Noah Joseph — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs

Mid-season driver changes don't happen often in Formula One, but they do happen occasionally. And the Sauber team - formerly owned by BMW - has done exactly that. After the bulk of a season of lackluster performance, the Swiss team has announced that it is removing Pedro de la Rosa from the cockpit for the grands prix left on the calendar.

In his place, Sauber has called Nick Heidfeld back up to the plate. Having spent seven seasons driving for Sauber in the past, scoring a dozen podiums along the way, Heidfeld is a known and proven talent at the team's headquarters in Hinwil.

Despite his talents, the German driver failed to secure a race seat for the 2010 season, and was retained instead by Mercedes as a test driver. He was subsequently released from his contract with Mercedes when he was recruited by Pirelli to test its new tire compounds, but will likely have to give that up given his renewed ties to Sauber.

Heidfeld will be driving alongside Kamui Kobayashi, who despite having failed to finish more races than de la Rosa, has scored more than three times as many points. With 27 world championship points and five races to go, Sauber sits in 8th place out of 12 in the constructors' championship standings, just ahead of Toro Rosso and the new teams. Will Heidfeld help the team turn around from the backmarkers they are now to the title contenders they were just a couple of seasons ago? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, or follow the jump for the team's official announcement.

[Source: Sauber]

Continue reading Heidfeld in, de la Rosa out at Sauber F1

Heidfeld in, de la Rosa out at Sauber F1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McLaren, Sauber move to sever ties with Mercedes, BMW

Noah Joseph — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW, Mercedes-Benz

For the past several years - even more in the case of McLaren - Germany's automakers have been known around the Formula One paddock by their association with two of the sport's most established racing teams. But for the 2010 season, both Mercedes-Benz and BMW have dissolved their partnerships with McLaren and Sauber, respectively. And yet, if you look down this year's roster, you'd swear the associations still stand.

In the case of McLaren, the partnership with Mercedes has now devolved into a strict engine-supply arrangement, just the same as exists between Red Bull and Renault or Force India and Ferrari, to mention just two examples. This following Mercedes' acquisition of the Brawn GP team. McLaren, however, is now completing the re-acquisition of the 40% stake which Mercedes parent-company Daimler held in the racing outfit, thus culminating a 15-year partnership between the two companies.

Sauber's arrangement is a bit more complicated, however. The Swiss team, which was founded as an independent, was bought outright by BMW after its lackluster arrangement with the Williams team failed to amount to much. The Bavarian automaker withdrew its support at the end of last season, however, leaving Sauber twisting in the wind. The team's namesake founder has since bought the team back from BMW, and is running under Ferrari power like it once did.

The most bizarre arrangement, however, left the team's official entry labeled as BMW Sauber Ferrari, since the team was hesitant to remove BMW's name from its letterhead and risk missing out on the revenue stream to which the team is entitled from Formula One Management's commercial holdings. Sauber, however, says that the situation will change some time this season when they officially and formally drop the BMW name from its entry and off the nose of the car on which it still sits.

[Sources: ESPN and F1Technical | Image: Guillaume Baptiste/AFP/Getty]

McLaren, Sauber move to sever ties with Mercedes, BMW originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sauber launches a sober C29 for the 2010 F1 season

Noah Joseph — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW, Ferrari, Racing

2010 BMW Sauber C29 - Click above for high-res image gallery

There's no easy way to design and build a new F1 car, but the road to Valencia has been longer for the Sauber team than its competition. The team quite nearly missed the chance to race this year after BMW withdrew its support and a subsequent deal to sell the team fell through. But team founder and namesake Peter Sauber managed to get the funds together to buy his team back, and after narrowly acquiring a spot on the 2010 grid, this is the first fruit: the Sauber C29.

Technically, the team still bears the BMW Sauber moniker, but it's not the Bavarian automaker's engine under the cowling: it's Ferrari's. The name game is simply a formality. Having run Maranello's engines for years in the pre-BMW era under the Petronas brand, both Ferrari and Sauber are used to the arrangement.

Petronas is also gone, migrating to the rival Mercedes GP team (and not, as might have been assumed, to the Malaysian-backed Lotus team). As you can see, the C29 - the third car to make its debut during the Valencia test session - was unveiled with no sponsor branding whatsoever. Rumor has it that both drivers - 38-year-old veteran McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa and 23-year-old rookie Kamui Kobayashi (who impressed in his debut for Toyota last season) - have brought sponsorship along with them, Kobayashi in particular linked to Panasonic, which sponsored Toyota's cars until the Japanese automaker's withdrawal last season.

With BMW or without, Sauber's made the grid, but the team still has a long way to go. Have a look at the high-resolution images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 BMW Sauber C29

[Source: BMW Sauber]

Continue reading Sauber launches a sober C29 for the 2010 F1 season

Sauber launches a sober C29 for the 2010 F1 season originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 F1 grid nears the finish line as Sauber signs McLaren veteran Pedro de la Rosa

Noah Joseph — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, BMW

Pedro de la Rosa (right) signs with Peter Sauber (left) - Click above for high-res image gallery

With the countdown winding down until the 2010 Formula One season's opening round in Bahrain, the roster of drivers competing for top honors is drawing near completion with the announcement that the Sauber team has signed Pedro de la Rosa as its second race driver.

The Spanish driver started in F1 as a test driver for Jordan in 1998, driving for Arrows and Jaguar before going to McLaren, with whom he stayed as a test driver from 2003 through 2009, filling in for Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005 and 2006. With McLaren now divorced from Mercedes and Sauber from arch-rival BMW, de la Rosa will return to the grid alongside Japanese hot shoe Kamui Kobayashi for the upcoming season.

Following the Sauber announcement, only four seats remain unconfirmed: two at USF1, one at Campos (alongside Bruno Senna) and one at Renault (alongside Robert Kubica). Follow the jump for the press release from Sauber and a standing roster of who'll be driving for which teams this season.

Gallery: Sauber signs Pedro de la Rosa

[Source: Sauber]

Continue reading 2010 F1 grid nears the finish line as Sauber signs McLaren veteran Pedro de la Rosa

2010 F1 grid nears the finish line as Sauber signs McLaren veteran Pedro de la Rosa originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is the other Schumacher pondering a F1 comeback too?

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Rumormill

Ralf Schumacher entered Formula One six years after his brother Michael, with the same Jordan team that introduced his sibling to the grid. That's about where the similarities end. After an 11-year career with Williams, Jordan, and Toyota, Ralf retired in 2007 and ended up in the DTM series. He was a good driver and had a decent car early in his Williams tenure, but he simply didn't have the edge. He ended up with fewer race wins, six, than his brother did World Championships.

Now that Michael has returned to the circus, it looks like Ralf wants his turn under the Big Top again. Ralf said, "I know that my reputation suffered during my time at Toyota but I left that behind me. I know what I can do and I feel ready to do it again." Having turned down a race seat with one of the new teams, other rumors suggest that he's talking to Toro Rosso, where he would replace Jaime Alguersuari and partner Sebastien Buemi. Toro Rosso and Renault - and Sauber, depending - are essentially the only teams who have openings and a chance of giving Ralf a car he can do something with.

[Source: GP Update | Image: Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty]

Is the other Schumacher pondering a F1 comeback too? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FIA gives Sauber the green light to fill Toyota's slot

Noah Joseph — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW, Toyota

After months in limbo, the FIA has released a short statement to announce that it has approved the Sauber F1 team - formerly owned by BMW - to fill Toyota's vacant spot on the grid for next year's F1 championship.

The announcement puts an end to a long period of uncertainty for the Swiss team that started when BMW announced it would withdraw its support. A deal was then penned with a shady investment firm known as Qadbak. But after Qadbak emerged as little more than a shell company for a convicted fraudster, the team's founder and namesake Peter Sauber negotiated a deal to buy the team back from the departing Bavarian automaker.

BMW motorsport chief Mario Thiessen - who supervised the company's F1 participation from providing engines to Williams through its purchase of Sauber - has announced that he'll remain with BMW and not leave with Sauber, leaving old Peter in charge.

The newly independent team has reportedly negotiated a deal to run Ferrari engines next season, an arrangement that powered Sauber F1 cars for eight years, rebadged as Petronas under the sponsor's name. Reports also suggest that Giancarlo Fisichella - who raced for Sauber in 2004 alongside Felipe Massa - could drive for the team once again in parallel to his Ferrari test duties.

A revised entry list is expected within the next few days. Follow the jump for the FIA's official announcement.

[Source: FIA | Image: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images]

Continue reading FIA gives Sauber the green light to fill Toyota's slot

FIA gives Sauber the green light to fill Toyota's slot originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW

The future of Sauber F1 looks a little more secure. After BMW's announcement earlier this year that it would withdraw from its involvement in Formula one at the end of the 2009, the automaker has reached a deal to sell the team back to eponymous founder Peter Sauber.

The new deal comes just days after it became clear that the previously unknown Qadbak investment company that had a deal to buy the team may have in fact been nothing more than a scam. According to previous reports, Qadbak apparently just wanted to collect Sauber's share of the F1 commercial money.

Peter Sauber has apparently raised the financing to buy back the team he sold to BMW in 2005 although the announcement does not disclose the purchase price. The team is being restructured in accordance with new F1 rules designed to bring down costs, and the staff at team headquarters will be cut from the current 388 to 250, with the first batch of layoff notices landing in inboxes today.

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber

BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lotus back in F1, BMW Sauber gets new ownership

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:59:00 EST

Lotus F1 racer - Click above for high-res image gallery

Two major announcements came hot on the heels of one another on Tuesday that seem set to shake up the always turbulent Formula 1 series even further in 2010. First, Team Lotus will indeed be back on the starting grid next year to contest the constructors championship with a duo of drivers. Backing the effort is Malaysian automaker Proton, which owns Lotus, and the team will be headquartered at a purpose-built facility at Malaysia's Sepang International circuit.

While it's not surprising that Lotus has rejoined F1 after weeks of rumormill gossip, many assumed the team would take the reigns of the Sauber team from BMW, but that's not the case. Lotus has received the 13th and final spot on the grid, taking the place of BMW. Interestingly, just hours after the announcement from Proton, F1 organizers announced that BMW had agreed to sell its F1 team to Swiss-based Qadbak Investments Ltd.

At this time, there is no guarantee that Sauber will be on the starting grid in 2010, but the FIA has granted the ex-BMW team the 14th place for 2010, meaning that it will have the first opportunity to fill any unforseen vacancies. Barring that, the FIA is pressing for a change to the rulebooks that would allow a 14th team to race in the championship.

Gallery: Lotus F1 cars

[Source: BBC]

Lotus back in F1, BMW Sauber gets new ownership originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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