Sauber has been a team in Formula 1 for many years and has been known by many names ranging from BMW Sauber to its current name, Alfa Romeo Sauber. The team was started in 1995 by Peter Sauber and has since come on a long way through many ups and downs, including a two year break from the fast paced sport. But how has the Swiss based team managed to leap 2 positions in the space of a year?
Last year, Sauber finished bottom last in 10th position, however, this year they managed to leap two places bringing them to 8th overall in the constructors standings.
Many factors contribute to the runnings of a Formula One team, one of them being leadership. Sauber's team principle, Fred Vasseur, has played a major part in the teams recovery, having been brought in from Renault in 2016 he has allowed for a much brighter future. Fred has hired many personnel in different areas, mainly in aerodynamics, allowing for their current cars to become much faster than ever before. Fred Vasseur also played a huge part in rectifying the Sauber-Ferrari engine partnership, rather than the Honda engine deal the team were originally planning to switch to.
Another major factor in Sauber's recovery is money. Money plays a huge part in everything, especially Formula 1. Sauber had lacked this essential element for quite some time, until 2016 in which Longbow Finance stepped in and essentially saved the team. Before this, Sauber lacked the money to power their wind tunnel, a vital element in any F1 team, thus previously the team lacked in aerodynamic testing, essentially slowing them down.
Sauber has a major history in Formula 1 and was once a genuine title contender, they even managed to score regular podium finishes. But will they ever return to being a front running team? Or was this season just a fluke shown by Charles Leclerc's consistent point finishes?
One thing this season did show was the undeniable talent of Charles Leclerc. Charles managed to score consistently in 10 of the 21 races this season, with a best place finish of 6th in Azerbaijan. The 21 year old has definitely shown his worth, especially since he has been signed on to race at Ferrari in 2019. So has Sauber improved significantly or was it just master driving from the young Monegasque?
Either way, Sauber can only improve in 2019, especially with a World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen, joining them. Many more will be watching this team, eager to see what both the Finn and the Swiss team can do in 2019.
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