Pressemappe2012 e Feb.pdf

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Contents

Season

Preview Goals & paths 2Sauber C31-Ferrari A radical evolution 4Calendar Dates & data 7

Team

Organisation Tasks & people 8Hinwil Headquarters & facilities 9

Drivers

Kamui Kobayashi 11Sergio Prez 14Esteban Gutirrez 17

Management

Peter Sauber 19Monisha Kaltenborn 21

Technology & background 23

History & statistics 28

Press contact and services 34

Copy deadline for this press kit: 1st

February 2012.


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Sauber F1 Team Press Kit 2

Preview

Goals & paths

The Sauber F1 Team will enter its 20th

season in the FIA Formula One WorldChampionship spearheaded by an unchanged driver line-up. With Kamui Kobayashi,Sergio Prez and reserve driver Esteban Gutirrez piloting the new Sauber C31-Ferrari, the Swiss outfit will be looking to further improve in 2012. Were aiming to startthe new season as strongly as we did in 2011, but then also to maintain this level ofperformance throughout the year, explains Team Principal Peter Sauber. Our goal isto finish regularly in the points so as to put ourselves in a significantly better position inthe World Championship.

Only three of their rivals on this years grid have been in Formula One longer than

Peter Saubers team. After an excellent start to 2011, the teams form fell away mid-way through the season following the decision to cease development of a controversialtechnology. The Sauber C31-Ferrari boasts a large number of promising newdevelopments, but in other areas it is a systematic further development of last yearscar, says Sauber.

We are looking forward to another season working with our young and talenteddrivers, adds the Team Principal. Kamui will be competing in his third full season inF1. Last year we asked him to take on leadership responsibilities within the team andhe has grown into the role. With his rookie season behind him Sergio is nowapproaching his second season, which is often the most difficult in a drivers FormulaOne career. Both drivers have huge potential and will work with the same raceengineers as in 2011 to continue developing that promise. Esteban will be competing

full-time in GP2 in his second season in the category and has shown most recently inthe November test that he could also step into the car for a Grand Prix, if required.

Young & quick

The personable Kamui Kobayashi (25) became an instant favourite of Formula Onefans on his arrival in the sport, not least with his daring but fair overtaking moves. 2012will be not only my third season in Formula One, but also my third with the same team,says the young Japanese. Weve been through a lot together and can benefit from ourshared experiences. In my first year with the team we had a bad start but a goodsecond half to the season. The second year was the exact reverse. In our third yeartogether we should be a reliable bet to finish consistently in the points. Im reallylooking forward to the new season with the Sauber F1 Team.

In 2012 Sergio Prez (22) is setting out to put the lessons from a turbulent butimpressive rookie season in 2011 into practice. My first year in Formula One felt likethree years, there were so many new things to take in, admits the Mexican. But now Ifeel like Ive arrived in Formula One and Im determined to take a step up in 2012 andachieve better results for the team on a regular basis.

20-year-old Esteban Gutirrez will be focusing on the races in the GP2 Series. At thesame time, says the teams other Mexican driver, Im looking forward to working morewith the Sauber F1 Team. Im learning a lot by being able to experience and analysethe professionalism and intensity of the teams work from the inside. Its goodpreparation for me.


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Fresh & evolutionary

Summarising all the efforts put into developing the new Sauber C31-Ferrari, Chief

Designer Matt Morris says: The C31 is revolutionary where we had fresh ideas,particularly at the rear of the car, and it is an evolution where we knew we could carryover certain approaches.

The engineers opted again to go with a high chassis design. However, according to thenew 2012 regulations, the nose cone needs to be lower, which is a safety requirement.

As a result, the nose cone has quite a different shape to how it was in the past.

Packaging was further optimised under the side pods in order to open up moreaerodynamic development scope in that area. The cooling layout is based around asimilar philosophy to the C30. It helps to get the volume of the coolers forward andallows the design of very compact rear bodywork.

A familiar element of the car is the Ferrari engine, onto which an all-new carbontransmission is bolted also supplied by Ferrari. The longitudinally mountedtransmission is a very tidy, neat unit. The entire rear of the car is much more tightlypackaged, and in addition the engineers have gone in some new directions around thefloor at the back of the car.


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Sauber C31-Ferrari

A radical evolution

Summarising all the efforts put into developing the new Sauber C31-Ferrari, ChiefDesigner Morris says: The C31 is revolutionary where we had fresh ideas, particularlyat the rear of the car, and it is an evolution where we knew we could carry over certainapproaches. We had to improve on the weaknesses we identified on the C30, but atthe same time we wanted to maintain its strengths.

One of the goals was to increase the scope of the operating envelope compared to itspredecessor. We had established some good directions to go in towards the end oflast year with the C30 which we wanted to continue with, particularly some of our DRSdevelopments, and some of the ways we were opting for with the cars set up in order

to improve our qualifying performance without compromising our race pace, elaboratesMorris.

The biggest change coming from the new Technical Regulations is that the exhaustposition had to be moved away from the floor, which has required quite a newapproach.

Despite continuity in respect of the tyre supplier, Morris also sees new challenges inthis area: We expect quite different tyre characteristics in 2012. Pirelli is in its secondyear, so is now beginning to refine its compounds and the tyres profile. Thecompounds generally tend to be heading to slightly softer solutions, slightly morebiased to a stronger front tyre than last year. This, of course, changes the way youbalance the car.

Front end

The engineers opted again to go with a high chassis design. However, according to thenew 2012 regulations, the nose cone needs to be lower, which is a safety requirement.

As a result, the nose cone has quite a different shape to how it was in the past. Thechassis itself shows absolute minimum cross sections all the way to the cockpit.

By an overall tidier design, the front suspension has been optimised for integration withthe chassis and the upright. Otherwise its a traditional layout with a pushrod and ahigh-level wishbone. The dampers and springs are packaged quite differentlycompared to the C30 in order to support a new philosophy for the set-up of the frontsuspension.

The design of the new front wing benefited from directions the engineers were pursuingtowards the end of the 2011 season.

Centre section

Packaging was further optimised under the side pods in order to open up moreaerodynamic development scope in that area. The cooling layout is based around asimilar philosophy to the C30, because that proved to be effective. It helps to get thevolume of the coolers forward and allows the design of very compact rear bodywork.


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Also with the roll-hoop the engineers were able to use the C30s design as a goodbaseline, and managed to improve what was already a lightweight and aerodynamicallyefficient solution.

The KERS that Ferrari provided in 2011 was very effective. There were no major issueswith its operation or reliability. For the new season Ferrari has improved the systemeven further.

Rear end

A familiar element of the car is the Ferrari engine, onto which an all-new carbontransmission is bolted also supplied by Ferrari. The longitudinally mountedtransmission is a very tidy, neat unit. The entire rear of the car is much more tightlypackaged, helped by the gearbox design, and in addition the engineers have gone insome new directions around the floor at the back of the car. The exhaust tailpipepositions are regulated in 2012, which has had a further effect on how the bodyworkdesign has been set out.

The rear suspension is now a pullrod design. It shows a long pullrod towards the frontof the gearbox and wide angled wishbones. This design allows improved packaging ofthe rear spring and damper elements. Despite the change from pushrod to pullrod, interms of kinematics the engineers maintained a similar direction to the one they went infor the C30.

The rear wing will again manage without a centre pylon. It is mounted to the endplatesand the lower wing, and, of course, maintains its DRS capability.

Morris explains: Because of the new definition in the rules we know that thedisadvantages we had last year with a lack of the strong exhaust effect will be less ofan issue for us now. As a result we evolved further our directions from C30 regardingthe overall aero development of the car.

Finally, Morris casts a glance at the next steps after the roll-out of the Sauber C31-Ferrari: The current plan is to launch a fairly basic roll-out version of the car, whichwas defined quite some time ago. We will then be testing development parts during theupcoming weeks with a late upgrade for the first race on 18

thMarch in Australia.

Therefore the car will look quite different in Melbourne compared to the roll-out car.


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Sauber C31-Ferrari

Chassis carbon-fibre monocoque

Front suspension upper and lower wishbones, inboard springs and

dampers (Sachs Race Engineering) actuated bypushrods

Rear suspension upper and lower wishbones, inboard springs anddampers (Sachs Race Engineering) actuated bypullrods

Brakes six-piston brake callipers (Brembo), carbon-fibre padsand discs (Brembo)

Transmission Ferrari 7-speed quick-shift carbon gearbox,longitudinally mounted, carbon-fibre clutch

Chassis electronics MES

KERS Ferrari

Steering wheel Sauber F1 Team

Tyres PirelliWheels OZ

Dimensions Lengthwidthheighttrack width, fronttrack width, rear

5,195 mm1,800 mm1,000 mm1,495 mm1,410 mm

Weight 640 kg (incl. driver, tank empty)

Ferrari 056 engine

Type naturally aspirated V8, 90 cylinder angle

Engine block sand-cast aluminiumValves / valve train 32 / pneumatic

Displacement 2,398 cc

Bore 98 mm

Weight > 95 kg

Electronic injection and ignition


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2012 Calendar

Dates & data

Grand Prix Date Circuitlength

Laps/Race distance

Team result 2011

1 AustraliaMelbourne

18.03.12 5.303 km 58/307.574 km

KOB 8t

(DQ)PER 7

th(DQ)

2 MalaysiaSepang

25.03.12 5.543 km 56/310.408 km

KOB 7th

PER retired

3 ChinaShanghai

15.04.12 5.451 km 56/305.066 km

KOB 10t

PER 17

th

4 BahrainSakhir

22.04.12 No GP in 2011

5 SpainBarcelona

13.05.12 4.655 km 66/307.104 km

KOB 10thPER 9

th

6 MonacoMonte Carlo

27.05.12 3.340 km 78/260.520 km

KOB 5t

PER DNS

7 CanadaMontreal

10.06.12 4.361 km 70/305.270 km

KOB 7th

DLR 12th

8 EuropeValencia

24.06.12 5.419 km 57/308.883 km

KOB 16t

PER 11

th

9 EnglandSilverstone

08.07.12 5.891 km 52/306.747 km

KOB retiredPER 7

th

10 GermanyHockenheim

22.07.12 No GP in 2011

11 HungaryBudapest 29.07.12 4.381 km 70/306.630 km KOB 11

t

PER 15th

12 BelgiumSpa

02.09.12 7.004 km 44/308.052 km

KOB 12t

PER accident

13 ItalyMonza

09.09.12 5.793 km 53/306.720 km

KOB retiredPER retired

14 SingaporeMarina Bay

23.09.12 5.073 km 61/309.316 km

KOB 14t

PER 10

th

15 JapanSuzuka

07.10.12 5.807 km 53/307.471 km

KOB 13th

PER 8

th

16 KoreaYeongam

14.10.12 5.615 km 55/308.630 km

KOB 15t

PER 16

th

17 India

Greater Noida

28.10.12 5.125 km 60/

307.249 km

KOB accident

PER 10th18 Abu DhabiYAS Island

04.11.12 5.554 km 55/305.355 km

KOB 10th

PER 11

th

19 USAAustin

18.11.12 No GP in 2011

20 BrazilSao Paulo

25.11.12 4.309 km 71/305.909 km

KOB 9th

PER 13th

KOB = Kamui Kobayashi / PER = Sergio Prez / DLR = Pedro de la Rosa


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Organisation

Tasks & people

Team Principal Peter Sauber (CH)

Driver number 14 Kamui Kobayashi (JP)

Driver number 15 Sergio Prez (MX)

Reserve driver Esteban Gutirrez (MX)

CEO Monisha Kaltenborn (AT)

Marketing Director Alex Sauber (CH)

Operations Director Axel Kruse (DE)

Chief Designer Matt Morris (GB)

Head of Aerodynamics Willem Toet (GB and AU)

Team Manager Beat Zehnder (CH)

Head of Track Engineering Giampaolo DallAra (IT)

Race Engineer for Kamui Kobayashi Francesco Nenci (IT)

Race Engineer for Sergio Prez Marco Schpbach (CH)

Chief Mechanic Urs Kuratle (CH)

Head of Communications Hanspeter Brack (CH)


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Hinwil

Headquarters & facilities

Coming from Zurich, you pass its lake with the same name on your right and drivesoutheast for half an hour before reaching Hinwil. This municipality of slightly over10,000 people at the foot of the 1,115-metre Bachtel mountain is a rural community.International visitors tend to be heading for one place: Sauber Motorsport AG, which isitself eminently international: the 300 or so staff listed at the start of the 2012 seasonrepresent more than 20 different nationalities. In addition to the Hinwil workforce, some100 full-time employees of suppliers and service providers in the region depend fortheir livelihood on the company founded by Peter Sauber back in 1970.

The attractive industrial complex consists of three sections which were built in

succession and, thanks to prescient forward planning, were linked up in an ideal way.Located between the first factory and office building (completed in 1992) and the windtunnel building (opened in 2004) is the most recent extension, which was occupied atthe end of 2007. This increased the surface area for offices and production facilities to15,600 square metres, not counting the wind tunnel.

Form follows function. Notwithstanding the architectural appeal of the large building,the overall concept adhered to a strictly practical brief that ensured short distances andoptimal work flows. Efficiency is a paramount aspect, as seen for example in anenclosed bridge that links the wind tunnel with the area housing the design office.

On the ground floor is the truck bay, with adjacent space for major productionequipment such as the portal milling machine. Also housed here are the mechanical

production department and the autoclaves. The eroding machines, quality control andwarehouse are located on the first floor.

The second floor has a particularly fascinating design. The central area is an atrium.This is where the Formula One racing cars are serviced and, thanks to its design, thecars can also be seen from the third floor. The second upper floor also houses thecarbon-fibre, car body, hydraulics and rapid prototyping departments, with theadministration, design office and electronics department on the level above.

Wind tunnel

Immediately adjacent to the latest building stands the state-of-the-art wind tunnel,which went on stream in spring 2004. The exterior view of this structure, which

measures 65 metres long by 50 metres wide and 17 metres high, is arresting with itsglazed faade. Inside it are the workplaces of highly qualified specialists. In addition tothe aerodynamicists, these also include model designers and model builders, CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics) engineers and other staff from the aerodynamicsdepartment.

The facility boasts cutting-edge technology for all the relevant aspects such as windspeed, size of the test section and of the models, dimensions of the rolling road, modelmotion system and data acquisition.

The wind tunnel is designed as a closed circuit, measuring 141 metres in length(without the test section) and with a maximum tube diameter of 9.4 metres. The overall


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weight of all the steel elements plus the fan housing comes to 480 tonnes. The single-stage axial fan with carbon rotor blades uses 3,000 kW at full load.

At the heart of any wind tunnel is the test section. Both its diameter and the length of

the rolling road are generously sized to provide optimal conditions for precise results.Testing with the actual racing car is technically possible, but tends to be the exceptiondue to the regulations. Work is carried out almost exclusively using 60-percent scalemodels.

To allow the test models to be exposed to the air stream not just frontally but at anangle of up to ten degrees as well, the entire measuring platform can be rotated. Theplatform features a rotating steel belt which simulates the relative motion between thevehicle and the road and which runs in sync with the flow of air. Load cells are mountedunder the belt to measure wheel loads.

Externally, the elegant wind tunnel building appears as a homogeneous hall, whereasin fact it consists of clearly separate elements: the actual wind tunnel and a wing with

work offices and an event platform where partners and sponsors can hold events in aunique setting. The first-floor gallery has room for 150 guests.

This area is divided from the technical section by a glass wall, which ensures that thevisual link is preserved while insulating it against the noise from the wind tunnel.


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Kamui Kobayashi

Heart & speed

11th

March 2011 was the final day of Formula One testing ahead of last season. It wasalso the day a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. The Sauber F1 TeamsJapanese driver Kamui Kobayashi was in Barcelona, sitting in his car for the final racesimulation. At firstI couldnt take in the scale of what I was seeing and hearing, herecalls. Kamui was nine years old when the Kobe earthquake struck. Concern for hiscountry and a deep sense of responsibility to make every effort to help stayed with the25-year-old throughout his second season in Formula One. The Japanese Grand Prixwas preceded by the national anthem sung by a girls choir from Fukushima whoKobayashi had invited to the event. It was an emotional high point and tugged at the

heartstrings of millions watching on TV around the world. I knew that Formula Onegives me the platform to send a message around the world, says the young Japanesedriver. He can rest assured that the message was heard.

But it wasnt only Kamuis home country that had pinned its hopes on him in 2011. Hewas also asked to take on leadership responsibilities within the Sauber F1 Team inwhat was only his second full season in Formula One. After being crowned the leadingrookie in Formula One himself in 2010, he lined up alongside another newcomer in2011 in the shape of Sergio Prez. It wasnt always easy for me, Kamui concedes,especially as the Pirelli tyres were new for both the engineers and myself. But I learnta great deal and am stronger for the experience.

Unfortunately, an aspect of F1 in which he excelled suddenly found its importance

significantly diminished in 2011. Kobayashis widely admired overtaking skill wasdevalued by the advent of the Drag Reduction System (DRS), which resulted in driverschanging places left, right and centre. The adjustable rear wing allows drivers lessgifted in the art of overtaking to pull off passing moves, but Kobayashi would never usethis reality to bolster his own case. Its the same for everyone, he said. And for him,the matter is closed.

Sunny side

Among his team-mates, Kobayashi is respected for his commitment and franknessand positively adored for his cheerful, easygoing nature. The delight he takes in thesmallest things even conjures a smile on the faces of the toughest guys. The first thinghe unfailingly does when he arrives at a race track is dash to the garage and the

kitchen to greet everyone.

While Kobayashi is partial to many Japanese dishes, raw fish is not among them. Hegrew up with sushi but cant abide it. His father ran a sushi restaurant in Amagasaki,west of Osaka. When the business was rebuilt after the 1995 earthquake, it was as adelivery service. Neither his parents nor his older brother or younger sister share KamuiKobayashis passion for racing. He was already pestering his father for a set of wheelsas a young lad. At the age of nine, his wish was finally granted: with provisional backingfrom his father and Yamaha, he entered the Japanese kart racing scene. His successthere was the passport into Toyotas junior development programme and to Europe.


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Europe

In 2004, aged 17, Kobayashi moved to Italy to compete in Formula Renault. Toyotafixed me up with an apartment and gave me a lot of support, he gratefully recalls. But

when it came to day-to-day living, he was left to his own devices. With Japanese hisonly language, he had problems in the supermarket telling shampoo from washing-upliquid. Every day was a challenge, he remembers with a grin, and the Italians wereso very different from the Japanese. In some ways we are more like the Germansvery punctual and very proper. But I liked the Italian way of life from the word go.Wasnt loneliness a problem? Sometimes it was tough, but I knew what I wanted. If Iwas going to become a racing driver, I was in the right place.

Today the right place remains more important than a permanent home, but fortunatelyKobayashi seems to be a born globetrotter. Indeed, for several months in 2011 he hadno apartment of his own and lived out of a suitcase. He has now found himself a homein Monaco, but a beach or a city with plenty of nightlife anywhere in the world can alsobe the right place Kamui Kobayashi is somebody who enjoys life. Meanwhile, back

at the race track, he consistently pays homage to his native country: his helmet isdominated by the colour red found at the centre of the Japanese flag.

Upwards and onwards

In 2005 he won the Italian Formula Renault crown as well as the series Eurocup. OnlyFelipe Massa had previously won both titles in a single year. That success paved theway for the Formula 3 Euro Series and, at the years end, a trip to Macau. He duly tookpole on the highly challenging track and won the qualifying race, giving his confidencea major boost. In 2007, a win at Magny-Cours in France and further podium finishesearned him fourth place overall in the Formula 3 Euro Series, and with it promotion. Bythe end of 2007, Toyota had signed him as their F1 reserve driver for 2008.

Alongside this Kobayashi contested the 2008 and 2009 GP2 Series in Asia andEurope. It didnt take him long to claim his first win in the European GP2, and in thewinter of 2008/2009 he ran away with the GP2 Asia title. The disappointment wasaccordingly great when he failed to build on this success in the main GP2 Series in2009. If I hadnt had the opportunity to stand in for Timo Glock at Toyota, my careermight have been over at that point, says Kobayashi.

When he climbed into Glocks Toyota cockpit for free practice in Suzuka on 2nd

October2009, seven months had elapsed since the last time he had sat in an F1 car. Twoweeks on, and Kobayashi was lining up for his first GP. At his debut race in Interlagoshe finished ninth (11

thin qualifying), just short of the points positions. At the season

finale in Abu Dhabi he qualified 12th

, distinguished himself as the best of the drivers ona one-stop strategy, and earned three points for sixth place. In both races it was hiscombative skills that stood out, while in Abu Dhabi he also displayed his astuteness inimplementing a race strategy. Peter Sauber has a keen eye for burgeoning talent andmade his move. The Japanese rookie did not disappoint in 2010 and overcame anumber of technical retirements to collect 32 World Championship points.

In 2011 Kobayashi recorded the teams best result of the season, finishing fifth in theMonaco GP. The first half of the season also yielded a pair of seventh places and hisbest qualifying performance of eighth. The teams progress then stalled as theyendured a difficult period on a technical level. However, the Japanese driver was stillable to pick up two World Championship points in Brazil to end the season on apositive note. The Interlagos result meant he finished with 30 points and in 12

thplace

once again in the drivers standings.


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Kamui Kobayashi

Date / place of birth 13t

September 1986 / Amagasaki (JP)

Nationality JapaneseResidence Monaco (MC)

Website www.kamui-kobayashi.comMarital status Single

Height / Weight 1.68 m / 58 kg

Hobbies Vacationing and enjoying life

Favourite dish Japanese food minus the raw fishFavourite drink Milkshakes

Favourite music House

Favourite race track Magny-Cours and Silverstone

Languages Japanese, English

Career:

1996 Started kart racing in Japan,

3rd

place SL Takarazuka Tournament (Cadet Class)1997 1

stplace SL All Japan Tournament (Cadet Class)

1998 1st

place JAF Cup West (Cadet Class)

1999 1st

place SL All Japan Tournament (S Stock, D Class)

2000 1st

place All Japan Junior Kart Championship,1

stplace Suzuka Karting Championship

2001 1st

place All Japan Kart Championship (ICA Class), Asia PacificChampionship (ICA Class), raced in the Esso Formula ToyotaRacing School, qualified for a scholarship

2002 Kart Euro Championship, formula racing debut in the Esso FormulaToyota Series (race 10)

2003 2n

place Formula Toyota, Japan2004 Toyota Drivers Academy, Toyota Driver Program,

7th place Formula Renault Italy, 3 poles, 2 wins

2005 1s

place Formula Renault Euro Cup, 4 poles, 6 wins,1

stplace Formula Renault Italy, 4 poles, 6 wins

2006 8 place Formula 3 Euro Series, Rookie of the Year, pole positionand win in the 1st race of the F3 World Final in Macau, FormulaOne Test with Toyota

2007 4t

place F3 Euro Series, 1 pole position, 1 win (Magny-Cours)

2008 6t

place GP2 Asia (DAMS), 2 wins (Sepang, Sakhir),16

thplace GP2 Main Series (DAMS), 1 win (Barcelona),

Formula One: official third driver Panasonic Toyota Racing Team

2009 1st

place GP2 Asia (DAMS), 2 poles, 2 wins,16

thplace GP2 Main Series (DAMS), Formula One: official third

driver Toyota, practice in Suzuka, racing debut in Interlagos, firstpoints in second race drive in Abu Dhabi (6

thplace)

2010 12t

place Formula One World Championship (BMW Sauber F1

Team)2011 12

tplace Formula One World Championship (Sauber F1 Team)

F1 statistics pre-2012:

First GP Sao Paulo 2009, 9t

place

GP starts 40

Best race result 5 (Monaco 2011)

Best qualifying 8t

(Silverstone 2011)

Points 65 (3 points in 2009, 32 points in 2010, 30 points in 2011)

Wins -

Pole positions -

Podium places -

Fastest race laps -
http://www.kamui-kobayashi.com/http://www.kamui-kobayashi.com/


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Sergio Prez

Shine & fight

His rookie season certainly wasnt dull. When Sergio Prez became the first Mexicandriver in Formula One for 30 years, his home nation rose up in applause. Indeed, over150,000 people turned out for an F1 demo event in his home city of Guadalajara in lateFebruary 2011. The pressure of expectation in Mexico was huge, yet the now 22-year-old faced it down and established himself in what he called a completely new world but only after overcoming one or two hurdles along the way.

In his Formula One debut in Melbourne on 27th

March 2011, he brought his SauberC30-Ferrari home in seventh place thanks to a successful team strategy and his tyre-friendly driving style. And yet, as he was soon to discover, F1 giveth, F1 taketh away.

Both the teams cars were later disqualified after the radius of a rear wing element(which had no effect on performance) was deemed to have contravened theregulations. Prez was to suffer another setback in Monaco. He had just made it intothe top-ten qualifying shootout for the first time when he lost control of the car on theexit from the high-speed tunnel section and slammed into the barriers with witheringforce. The Mexican youngster was left with severe concussion, necessitating a two-race break and leaving him not feeling one hundred per cent fit for the threesubsequent Grands Prix.

And yet Prez never let his difficulties show. Checo, as anyone christened Sergio isinvariably known in Mexico, continued to greet all-comers with a beaming smile andcontinued to show his teeth on the race track as well. Indeed, he battled his waysuccessfully through what was a rollercoaster debut season, making it into the

qualifying top ten on another two occasions (Budapest and Spa) and finishing in thepoints in five out of the 17 races he started. His highest finish was seventh atSilverstone, but he rates Japan as his best race of 2011. The C30 was strugglingtechnically at that point in the season, but Prez still managed to post the second-fastest lap of the race and crossed the line in eighth position.

The beginnings

Guadalajara is a city of over 1.5 million in northwest Mexico the second mostpopulous in this vast country, famous for mariachi and tequila, and buoyed by a thrivingindustry. Vilsbiburg, by contrast, is a small town of 11,500 inhabitants near Landshut inthe conservative German state of Bavaria. Moving from the one to the other would be ahuge adjustment for anybody, but for a 15-year-old Mexican striking out on his own it

was a fair shock to the system. However, Prez stuck at it; the youngster wasdetermined to become a Formula One racing driver.

Sergio Prez upbringing was steeped in motor sport. His father had been a racingdriver himself and managed the career of Mexican driver Adrian Fernandez. Thefamilys first-born son, Sergios brother Antonio likewise became a racing driver andnow competes in NASCAR. Sergio was six years old when he was first allowed to joinhis father and brother at the kart track. From that moment on my goal was to get intoFormula One. As his father recollects with pride, We had a lot of rain, and wet racesbecame Sergios passion.


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The budding young racer won karting championships in Mexico and the USA beforemaking it into Skip Barbers monoposto series. He had long known he would have tohead for Europe to pursue his path into Formula One. When I was 14 and still living inMexico, I often got up at two oclock in the night to talk to teams in Europe because of

the time difference, he recalls. I would lie and tell them I had sponsorship backing.

Carlos Slim Domit took Sergio Prez under his wing at Escuderia Telmex. Prezmoved to Germany and in 2005 became the youngest participant in Formula BMW,aged just 15. His team manager at the time, Gnther Unterreitmeier of 4speed Media,owned a restaurant in Vilsbiburg where Sergio was given a small room. The juniordriver was homesick, couldnt speak German and desperately missed his family.Sometimes I was so distraught, I nearly lost it, he confesses. Carlos Slim Domit washis close confidant during this difficult time. He often rang me up and gave me peptalks. His advice really helped me not to lose sight of my target. Im deeply grateful tohim.

In his second season of Formula BMW, Prez signed up with ADAC Berlin

Brandenburg and took up residence in the German capital. His next stop was England,where in 2007 he won the National Formula 3 Championship with a record tally of 14wins, 14 pole positions and nine fastest race laps.

The international scene

After competing in the International British Formula 3Championship in 2008 (four wins,fourth overall) it was time for Sergio Prez to step up into the next league. He firstentered the GP2 Asia and then the Main Series. It was here that he encounteredKamui Kobayashi in 2009, though not as a team-mate, which meant the two of themhad few dealings with one another. In 2010 Prez concluded his second GP2 seasonas championship runner-up. He had chalked up five wins and signed a Formula Onecontract with the Sauber F1 Team before the final round.

From the outset he had his sights set on the very pinnacle of the sport. Im not inFormula One to make up the numbers, he confirms. I want to be world champion oneday. His rookie season showed him how much has to slot into place to achieve thatgoal. When you come into Formula One youre entering a whole new world, he says.Youre working with a lot more people and at a much higher level. In fact youreworking much harder altogether. Every detail is important both in and out of the car.There is a lot of media interest and all of this combined has an effect on your privatelife. You just have to find a way of dealing with it all if you want to be successful. Whenasked about his personal strengths, he says: I never give up. That much is clear fromhis career so far.


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Sergio Prez

Date / Place of birth 26t

January 1990 / Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Nationality MexicanResidence Monaco (MC)

Website www.sergioperez.comMarital status Single


Hobbies Karting, football, golf

Favourite food Mexican and Italian dishesFavourite drink Pia colada

Favourite music Pop

Favourite race track Monza and Spa

Languages Spanish, Portuguese, English

Career:

1996 - 2003 Kart racing in Mexico and the USA, five championship wins,

member of Escuderia Telmex2004 11

tplace Skip Barber National Championship,

2 poles

2005 14 place German Formula BMW, 2n

place in his debut race

2006 6t

place German Formula BMW

2007 1s

place National British Formula 3 Championship,14 poles, 9 fastest race laps, 14 wins;10

thplace A1GP as rookie, 2 fastest race laps

2008 4t

place International British Formula 3 Championship,2 poles, 5 fastest race laps, 4 wins

2009 7t

place GP2 Asia, 1 pole position, 2 wins (Campos);12

thplace GP2, 1 pole position, 2 podium places (Telmex Arden)

2010 2n

place GP2 (Addax), 1 pole position, 7 fastest race laps, 5 wins(Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, Hockenheim, Abu Dhabi)

2011 15t

place Formula One World Championship (Sauber F1 Team)

F1 statistics pre-2012:

First GP Melbourne 2011, 7t

place (disqualified)GP starts 17

Best race result 7t

(Silverstone 2011)

Best qualifying 9 (Spa 2011)

Points 14

Wins -Pole positions -

Podium places -

Fastest race laps -
http://www.sergioperez.com/http://www.sergioperez.com/


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Esteban Gutirrez

Growing & learning

Giampaolo DallAra sounded almost apologetic after the two days of testing in AbuDhabi: When were working with him we sometimes forget how young and new to thesport he is. However, the Head of Track Engineering could hardly have paid the 20-year-old Mexican Esteban Gutirrez a greater compliment. The prior experience of theSauber F1 Teams official test and reserve driver in Formula One had previously stoodat two taster days at the Young Driver Days event. And yet here he was in November2011, racking up 173 laps with consummate ease as part of a demanding testprogramme.

The team got to know young Gutirrez in 2008 when he notched up an outstanding

season in Formula BMW Europe. That earned him a Formula One test, which he tookin Jerez at the end of 2009. The Mexican acquitted himself well and Sauber took himunder its wing as an affiliated driver for 2010. The schedules dovetailed neatly, with theGP3 races ensuring Gutirrez was on location during the European F1 events. Withample opportunity to listen in to the radio communications in the Formula One garageand attend technical briefings, he soon grew into the team.

To watch him fighting in the 2010 GP3 Series was sheer joy. Anyone in the FormulaOne crew with any time to spare made sure to keep an eye on those races. PeterSauber took delight in the young driver: I had been watching Esteban for some time,says the Team Principal. Time and again he made his mark with intelligent fightingperformances. We are confident he will sustain his strong development trajectory.

2011 proved to be a test of Gutirrez patience in this regard. His first GP2 season didnot run according plan. Twice he found himself on the podium after the second race ona race Sunday, winning in Valencia and coming home second in Budapest. But 13

th

place in the overall standings at the seasons end was a long way from where hewanted to be. Not that he was going to let that get him down. Its not as if you grow upovernight, as if by magic, he says. Dealing with highs and lows is all part of thepreparation for Formula One.

His goals are clear and his family are right behind him. Making regular tracksideappearances are his father Roberto Manuel Gutirrez Muguerza and his mother Clara,who have six children in all. Esteban is the youngest but one and has four brothers anda sister. Chauffeuring all of them around individually was not an option for the parents,and so it was rather convenient that Esteban discovered karting as a hobby at the

same time as his brother Andres, seven years his senior. For the older brother it was toremain a hobby: today he works for his fathers business, which includes a supermarketchain, a wholesaler for the outlets, and a steel company.

As children we were always busy doing things and we also had a lot of different toys,recalls Esteban Gutirrez. However, when I started clamouring for a go-kart, my fatherwas initially opposed. After cutting his teeth in kart racing in 2004, his career soonpicked up speed. At the age of 13 he began competing in races, at 15 he had switchedto a single-seater race car, and at 16 he was lining up on the grid in Europe for the firsttime. After Formula BMW came Formula 3 and GP3. He subsequently moved to Paristo be closer to his team, Lotus ART, whose car he will be driving in 2012 for his secondGP2 season.


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Esteban Gutirrez

Date / Place of birth 5t

August 1991 / Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Nationality MexicanResidence Paris (FR)

Website www.estebanracing.comMarital status Single


Hobbies Karting, motorbike trials

Favourite food Italian cuisine and sushiFavourite drink Lemonade

Favourite music Cold Play, Muse, Kings of Lion

Favourite race track Monaco

Languages Spanish, English, French

Career:

2004 Kart racing: Mexican Rotax Max Challenge

2005 Kart racing: Mexican Rotax Max Challenge,3

rdplace in the Grand Nationals in South Bend

2006 Kart racing: Mexican Rotax Max Challenge,1

stplace North Mexican Series, 4

thplace in the Mexican Grand

Nationals in Zacatecas;Camkart Challenge Mexico: five wins in five races;test drives Formula Renault

2007 2n

place Formula BMW USA, Rookie of the Year, four wins, ninepoles in 14 qualifyings;test drives A1 GP;Formula BMW races in Hockenheim and World Final in Valencia

2008 1s

place Formula BMW Europe, seven wins in 16 races, threepoles;3

rdplace Formula BMW World Final in Mexico City;

Formula Master races in Imola and German Formula 3Championship in Oschersleben;test drives Formula 3 Euro Series

2009 9 place Formula 3 Euro Series (ART Grand Prix Team);one test day Formula One (BMW Sauber F1 Team) and test drivesGP2 (Teams ART and Arden)

2010 1st

place GP3 Series (ART), five wins, nine podium places, threepoles;affiliated driver at Sauber Motorsport for Formula One, one test day

2011 13t

place GP2 Series (Lotus ART), one win (Race 2 in Valencia),one 2

ndplace (Race 2 in Budapest);

11th

place GP2 Asia (Lotus ART);test and reserve driver for the Sauber F1 Team,two F1 test days at the Young Driver Days

2012 GP2 Series (Lotus ART);test and reserve driver for the Sauber F1 Team
http://www.estebanracing.com/http://www.estebanracing.com/


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Peter Sauber Team Principal

Entrepreneur & racer

Whats in a name? As a Formula One team boss, Peter Sauber (which translates asclean) enjoys the reputation of a straight-as-a-die racer and responsiblebusinessman. No luxury yachts, no scandals just a decent glass of red and a goodcigar: thats about the limit of his occasional indulgences. He has been married to thesame wife for over 40 years and makes a point of naming his racing cars after her theC stands for Christiane Sauber. The couple have two grown-up sons and twograndchildren.

The Swiss entrepreneur built up his team in his home country where motor racingwasnt exactly popular and has weathered some rough times over the course of 40

years. 2010 saw him return to the pit wall after buying back the business from BMW atthe end of 2009. It wasnt by choice, he declares, but it was the only way to save theworkplaces and technical facilities.

Now 68, he has cut his professional cloth to suit him: he is Team Principal, team ownerand President of the Board of Directors, as well as heading up the team trackside.However, he is no longer involved in business operations at Hinwil: that is the remit ofthe management team under CEO Monisha Kaltenborn. Also on the managementboard is Saubers younger son Alex (born 1973), who joined in 2010 as MarketingDirector.

This structural realignment, first and foremost with Monisha Kaltenborn as CEO,brought fresh air into the company and also gives Sauber some breathing space. He

divides his time between his house in Wilen on Lake Zurich and his second home inLaax. Time permitting, he enjoys taking his motorbike out for a spin or heading off forthe ski slopes.

In January 2006, TV audiences across Switzerlands various language regions votedPeter Sauber Swiss of the Year for 2005, in recognition of his achievements in boththe sporting and the business world.

By his own estimation, the qualified electrician would not have got very far as a racingdriver, even though he became Swiss champion in 1970 in the C1, his first self-constructed race car. But his passion for building cars proved greater and was matchedby the courage it took to set up his own operation. This, along with his ability to talkothers into an involvement, set the course for some remarkable achievements.

A glimpse inside the team shows ample evidence of this. Formula One is known for itsrapid burnout effect on those involved, yet some team members have been on boardfor over 20 years now. Peter Sauber has also successfully applied his powers ofpersuasion to negotiations with corporate executives. In the mid-1980s he broughtMercedes back onto the international racing stage, and it was with Saubers team thatBMW planned its future in motor sports crowning discipline. On the outside he is thefront man, while in day-to-day business he takes a back seat.


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Peter Sauber

Date / place of birth 13t

October 1943 / Zurich, SwitzerlandNationality Swiss

Residence Wilen (CH)

Marital status Married to Christiane, sons Philipp (1971) and Alex (1973)

Hobbies Motorcycling, skiing, horse-riding, golf

Career:

1970 Swiss champion (as driver) in a self-built sports car (Sauber C1)

1976 Interserie championship title, Herbert Mller (Sauber C5)

1982 Debut in World Sports Car Championship1986 Victory in the Nrburgring 1000 km race, Nrburgring (Sauber-

Mercedes C8)

1989 World Sports Car Championship manufacturers and drivers title(Sauber-Mercedes C9),

one-two in the Le Mans 24 Hours1990 World Sports Car Championship manufacturers and drivers title

(Sauber Mercedes C11),setting up of junior team with Michael Schumacher, KarlWendlinger, Heinz-Harald Frentzen

1993 Formula One debut at the South African GP, 5t

place for JJ Lehto(Sauber C12)

2001 4tplace in the Constructors World Championship with Kimi

Rikknen and Nick Heidfeld (Sauber C20)

January 2006 BMW takes a majority stake in the team, Sauber takes on anadvisory role in the BMW Sauber F1 Team;Sauber named 2005 Swiss of the Year

2007 101 World Championship points,2

ndplace in the Constructors World Championship

2008 135 World Championship points, 11 podiums, one-two in theCanadian GP with Robert Kubica ahead of Nick Heidfeld,3

rdplace in the Constructors World Championship

November 2009 Team bought back from BMW


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Monisha Kaltenborn CEO

Charm & acuteness

As a child her ambition was to be an astronaut. When she made her first acquaintancewith the world of motor sport, she was determined one day to compete in the Paris-Dakar Rally. Monisha Kaltenborn had no time for minor aspirations. She plotted hercareer path early on: law was what interested her, and she also had an executiveposition firmly in mind. Now aged 40, Kaltenborns career trajectory led her from theFritz Kaiser Group straight into Formula One. In 2010 she became the first woman tohead up the business operations of an F1 team.

She was eight years old when her family decided to emigrate from their homeland ofIndia and settle in a different part of the planet. Back then it happened not out of

necessity but more out of curiosity, she recalls, and in the end my parents opted forVienna. It was there that Monisha Kaltenborn completed her law degree and took on

Austrian citizenship. She was to continue her law studies at various internationallyrenowned universities, worked for the United Nations as well as for German and

Austrian law firms. When she joined the Fritz Kaiser Group in 1998, Kaiser was ashareholder in the Red Bull Sauber F1 Team. The groups legal and corporate affairsbecame Kaltenborns responsibility. When Kaiser sold off his shares in the team at theturn of the millennium, she moved to Hinwil to run the Sauber Groups legaldepartment. She has been on the Board of Management since 2001, which she nowheads after her appointment as CEO in 2010.

Negotiating watertight contracts with drivers, sponsors and suppliers was her daily fareover all those years. She also dealt with relations with the FIA and the commercial

rights holder FOM. Prior to 2010 she rarely appeared on the public radar, though shewas well known to company directors and key figures such as Bernie Ecclestone andJean Todt. Unlike a former team boss: For a whole year he assumed I was PeterSaubers interpreter, Kaltenborn recalls with a laugh. She has no problem in graciouslyallowing a man in a mans world to believe what he wants and will occasionally concealher razor-sharp mind behind a smile. Being underestimated can sometimes be anadvantage to be exploited, she says.

Kaltenborn is involved in the FIAs Women and Motorsport Commission founded inApril 2010 and headed by Michle Mouton. At Hockenheim in 2010, she was the firstwoman to attend an FIA press conference, where she was representing the teams topmanagement, and in Suzuka she stood in for Peter Sauber on the pit wall stand bothoccasions attracting a good deal of attention. Many aspects of her high profile have

now become routine, and the inaugural Grand Prix in her native India brought her evenmore into the spotlight. She rates the limelight purely in terms of whether its good forthe team or not. But her objectivity is no bar to the sheer enjoyment she takes in her

job, which she will sometimes admit with refreshing candour to be really cool. But thetruly exciting part of my job, she points out, takes place behind the scenes.

Strict management structures are also de rigueur in her private life. Kaltenborn, withher German husband Jens, their nine-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, lives inKsnacht, just a 20-minute drive from the factory. When a rare window of leisure timeopens up, she will usually make the most of it on a yoga mat, on the tennis court or ona rare visit to the opera.


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Monisha Kaltenborn

Date / place of birth 10 May 1971 / Dehradun, IndiaNationality Austrian

Residence Ksnacht (CH)Marital status Married to Jens, one son (2002), one daughter (2005)

Hobbies Yoga, tennis, opera

Career:

1990-1995 Law degree at the University of Vienna (AT),qualified as Magister iuris

1994 Seminar on International Civil Law,Hague Academy for International Law (NL)

1995 Research assistant at the UN Organisation forIndustrial Development in Vienna;research work for the UN Commission for International

Trade Law in Vienna1996 Master of Law, International Business Law, at the

London School of Economics (GB)

1996/1997 Law firm Gleiss, Lutz, Hootz, Hirsch in Stuttgart (DE)

1997/1998 Law firm Wolf, Theis + Partner in Vienna (AT)

1998/1999 Fritz Kaiser Group, legal and corporate affairs of theRed Bull Sauber F1 Team

2000 Sauber Group, Head of the Legal Department

2001 Member of the Board of Management

From January 2010 CEO Sauber Motorsport AG


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Technology and background

Monocoque

The monocoque constitutes the core of every Formula One car. It is the driversworkplace and survival cell in one. The engine is flanged onto it at the rear, the carsnose at the front. The shape of the monocoque is dictated by various factors. Theseinclude the dimensions as per regulations of the cockpit opening, for example, aswell as the length of the wheelbase, the size of the fuel tank, the drivers physique andvarious aerodynamic requirements.

In the design process for the monocoque, the first stage is to define the surface form.Following that, finite-element calculations are carried out to ensure that the safety cellcomplies with the necessary levels of rigidity and strength identified by the engineers.

These are based on the one hand on the dynamic loads experienced by the car, andon the other on the safety stipulations of the FIA. Standards have become increasinglystringent over recent years, ensuring a significant increase in passive safety for thedrivers. The most important tests are the frontal crash (with the nose section) at aspeed of 15 m/s, the side-on impact at 10 m/s and the stationary load test for therollover bar, which has to withstand around 12 tonnes of pressure. A total of fivedynamic and 14 stationary tests are carried out on the car as a whole.

The monocoque consists of a carbon-fibre/aluminium honeycomb composite, whichmakes for extremely high rigidity and strength while keeping weight low. The compositeengineers work out how many layers of carbon fibre are needed in which areas of thecar so as to fulfil the diverse requirements. Here they can also select various types ofcarbon fibre, depending on whether forces are exerted from a single direction or

several. In areas subjected to particularly high loads, up to 60 layers of carbon fibremay be stacked on top of each other. In total, a monocoque is made up of some 1,500individual carbon-fibre elements.

It consists of two half-shells into which additional strengthening elements are glued.Following several curing stages in the autoclave, the two halves are glued together.The final stage involves the assembly of numerous securing components.

Their extremely high strength means that monocoques provide drivers with maximumprotection even in major accidents. Because the fuel tank is also contained within themonocoque, dramatic fire accidents are a thing of the past. After a crash, the safety cellcan almost always be repaired.

At Hinwil, four monocoques are built per year for use in races and testing as well as forrig tests. Every single safety cell has to be homologated by the FIA, although only thefirst example has to pass the full range of tests.


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Carbon fibre

With the exception of the engine, gearbox components and wheel carriers, a FormulaOne car is made almost entirely of carbon fibre. The salient properties of carbon are itshigh rigidity and strength coupled with very low weight. It compares with steel in termsof rigidity, yet it is around five times lighter. The downside is the highly complexmanufacturing process and the high cost of the material: one square metre of pre-impregnated carbon-fibre sheeting costs from 50 to 200 euros.

Carbon fibres have a diameter of five to eight micrometres. Generally, between 1,000and some 20,000 fibres are bundled together before being woven into fabric-likestructures.

Approximately 20 different types of carbon-fibre material are used in Formula One,largely distinguished by their structure and the type of resin with which they areimpregnated. If forces only come from one direction, a unidirectional weave is used,whereas forces emanating from various directions require a bidirectional weave.Specialist composite engineers determine which weave is required with which resinand how many layers are needed to achieve the desired properties.

The manufacturing process for carbon-fibre parts involves several stages. First thecomponent is designed on the computer by means of CAD (Computer Aided Design).This data is then refined and serves as a basis for CAM, or Computer AidedManufacturing. Using a five-axis milling machine, the form is cut into a tooling blockthat serves as a positive mould. The laminators lay the pre-shaped carbon-fibre pieceson this tooling block. Once this process has been completed, the entire item is packed

into a polythene bag, vacuum-sealed and placed inside an autoclave, where it is curedfor 10 to 20 hours at a temperature of around 50C. Following some final touches, theresulting negative mould is then ready to be used for the manufacture of the actualcarbon-fibre component.

The laminators lay the pre-shaped carbon-fibre pieces on top of and alongside eachother in the negative mould following plans drawn up by the composite engineers.Depending on the component, these can number up to several hundred. Wheneverything is ready, the mould with its carbon-fibre inlay is likewise packed into apolythene bag, vacuum-sealed and baked for five or six hours at a temperature ofapprox. 150C. After this curing process, the individual parts are further refined andcombined to form complete components. A front wing, for example, consists of around20 individual carbon-fibre parts. For components that have to be exceptionally robust,

Kevlar or Zylon are used alongside the carbon fibre.


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Brakes

As a rule, it is not so much the speed as the deceleration that really takes a rookiedriver by surprise the first time he gets behind the wheel of a Formula One car. Thebraking power which can sometimes peak at over 5g is quite literally breathtaking.

This kind of deceleration derives from a combination of high aerodynamic downforcesand extremely high-performance braking systems. Unlike road cars with their steelbrake discs, racing cars use carbon-fibre discs and pads. Not only are thesecomponents much lighter than their steel counterparts a complete set of discs andpads weighs less than 10 kg but they can also generate vast amounts of brakingenergy.

And the costs are equally impressive. A complete set of discs and pads sets you backaround 13,000 euros. During a race weekend, the driver will normally use one set of

brakes and pads on the Friday, then swap them for a new set that has to lastthroughout qualifying and the race itself.

While carbon fibre is used for the discs and pads, the six-cylinder front and rearcallipers are made of aluminium alloy. On safety grounds, Formula One cars have twobrake circuits, one front and one rear, and therefore also two master cylinders one foreach circuit. The diameter of the master cylinder is variable, depending on thepreferences of the driver. A smaller-diameter master cylinder limits maximum brakingpressure but will give better feel. The drivers foot has to pile on plenty of pressure too

coming into the first chicane at Monza, drivers will typically apply anything up to 150kg of force at the pedal. But they can be sure of getting results: cars need no more than2.5 seconds and 130 metres to brake from 335 km/h to 90 km/h. For the driver, theeffect is like being punched in the pit of the stomach.

For maximum deceleration, it is important to keep the brake discs at the righttemperature. The optimal range lies between 350 and 550 Celsius, although shortpeaks of up to 1,000 are permissible. Different race circuits make different demands interms of brake venting. A track like Montreal, for example, where the brakes take a lotof punishment, will require a high degree of brake cooling unlike Silverstone, wherethe demand is low.

When following the safety car, the temperature of the brakes can soon fall below200C. This is always a challenge for the drivers, who have to increase thetemperature of their brakes as much as possible just before the safety car is withdrawnand the race restarts. But they have to be careful, otherwise there is a risk the brakediscs could vitrify. In other words, the surface of the discs could harden, resulting in

significant loss of braking performance.

Finally, it is perfectly normal practice for Formula One drivers to alter the brake forcedistribution on their car during the race by using a lever in the cockpit. If the frontwheels are showing a tendency to lock, the driver can direct more brake force to therear in order to reduce the load on the front wheels. Drivers also have a second leverwith which they can adjust the brake balance for each individual corner.


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Seat

As well as generating immense deceleration under braking, Formula One cars alsosubject the drivers to over 4 gof lateral acceleration through corners. During a racethese forces are repeatedly exerted on the drivers over a period of one-and-a-half totwo hours, which means the perfect seating position is absolutely crucial as even thetiniest pressure points can lead to pain or cramp. That is why each driver uses his ownseat that has been precisely tailored to his body measurements.

When a new seat is manufactured, a basic carbon-fibre shell is lined with a polythenebag. This contains either a dual-component foam or polystyrene granules which arethen vacuumised. The driver gets inside the seat and waits until the mass graduallymoulds itself to his body shape. While this is going on, small modifications arerepeatedly carried out. In addition, the position of the steering wheel and the pedals areadjusted. When the perfect fit has been established, the seat foam or polystyrene

granules are left to harden.

This kind of seat fitting will occupy a driver for between half a day and a full day. Theresulting seat is a transitional version which will be used for the initial test drives andserve as a prototype for the permanent seat. To create the definitive seat, the interiorsurface of the provisional model is electronically scanned. The engineers then use thisscan to create a mathematical surface based on which the shape of the seat is milledinto a tooling block. Through the layering of individual carbon-fibre sheets, the final seattakes shape before being cured in the autoclave.

In the final stage the seat is given its finish, which includes cutting the apertures for thesafety and rescue belts and adding a layer of padding roughly one millimetre thick. Afinished seat weighs in at around three kilograms.

Steering wheel

The steering wheel of a Formula One car acts as the drivers command centre. Heuses it to steer, operate the clutch and change gear, as well as controlling numerouselectronic functions by means of various buttons and switches.

The first stage of the design process involves the engineers specifying the functionsthat are to be controlled by buttons or rotary switches. Following that, the initial layout isdetermined before a provisional version of the steering wheel is made by means ofrapid prototyping. Now the driver can judge whether all the controls are in just the right

position. If not, he advises on where he would like changes to be made.

Manufacture of the definitive wheel can now start. A carbon-fibre shell with a lid formsthe basis. The holes for the switches and buttons are drilled into the lid before the foamfor the steering wheel grip is applied, which is in turn wrapped in carbon fibre. Duringthe finishing process, various coverings are used. Depending on driver preference, thegrip can be lined with leather or even with a silicon mass moulded to the shape of thedrivers hands.

Now the buttons and switches are mounted and wired up to the circuit board before thedisplay is connected as well. Since 2008 the circuit board and the display have been


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part of the SECU (Standard Electronic Control Unit) and are available from the FIA asstandardised components.

Once all the electronics work has been carried out, the specialists start mounting the

mechanical parts on the reverse of the steering wheel; these include the gearshift andclutch paddles as well as the quick release mechanism. It is a familiar sight to seedrivers removing the steering wheel to get in and out of the car and then replacing itafterwards. The quick release mechanism must also pass an FIA test in which thedriver has to be able to vacate the cockpit within five seconds.

Before the steering wheel is deployed on the track, it is thoroughly checked on a testrig. Once the tests have been successfully completed, the buttons and switches areglued onto the reverse of the frame and the 1.8 kg high-tech component is ready foraction.


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History & statistics

Tales of the unexpected

Peter Sauber had never been particularly interested in cars, and motor racing didnt doanything for him at all. The fact that, in 2010, Peter Sauber was able to celebrate the40

thanniversary of Sauber Motorsport had a lot to do with chance in the early days, but

afterwards it was down to sheer perseverance and, later on, a good deal of hard graftand skill.

Peter Saubers father owned a company for electrical systems which employed around200 staff and had premises in Zurich as well as on Wildbachstrasse in Hinwil. PeterSaubers career path seemed to be mapped out. He trained as an electrical fitter withthe aim of gaining further qualifications and following in his fathers footsteps. But it

would all turn out rather differently.

In 1967 Sauber used to drive to work every day in a VW Beetle until a friendpersuaded him to have some tuning work done. For a bit of fun he then entered it in afew club races in 1967. Far more significantly, it sparked his passion for tinkering withcars. He modified his Beetle to such an extent that eventually it was no longer fit forroad use. Which led to the next stage in Saubers career: in 1970 he decided to sethimself up as an independent builder of open two-seater racing sports cars. Out of thecellar of his parents home in Zurich emerged the Sauber C1. He used the first letter ofhis wife Christianes name as the model designation for the car.

That same year, he set up PP Sauber AG and moved into a specially built workshop onhis fathers company premises on Wildbachstrasse in Hinwil. With the C1 he won the

1970 Swiss sports car championship, but soon whittled things down to the occasionalappearance as a racing driver. In 1974 he donned his helmet for the last time beforeturning his full attention to car construction. The C was retained as a trademark.

It wasnt the easiest of tasks Sauber had set himself: surviving on constructing racingsports cars in Switzerland seemed a doomed prospect. But he would not be deterredand battled on determinedly. The working day often stretched deep into the night andmoney was in short supply.

Sports car successes

Sauber achieved international prominence with the C5 in which Herbert Mller won thethen acclaimed Interserie championship in 1976. That was followed by his first forays at

Le Mans. By this time Sauber Motorsport had four employees on the payroll. In 1981Hans-Joachim Stuck and Nelson Piquet won the Nrburgring 1000-kilometre race in aSauber-built Group 5 BMW M1.

The following year was a decisive one for Peter Sauber. He was commissioned bySwiss composite materials manufacturer Seger & Hoffmann to build a car for the GroupC World Sports Car Championship: it was to become the Sauber C6. During this t imehe made contact with engineers at Mercedes who expressed an interest in motor sport

though all very much at a private level, as international motor sport had been anunmentionable subject for the Stuttgart carmaker since the tragic accident at Le Mansin 1955.


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In 1985 Sauber began fitting Mercedes engines into his racing sports cars, moving thatbit closer to the Stuttgart company. Just a year later, Henri Pescarolo and MikeThackwell won the Nrburgring 1000 Kilometres in a Sauber C8. Further triumphs wereto follow, ultimately prompting Mercedes comeback to international motor racing. From

1988, Sauber and his crew acted as Mercedes official works team. In 1989, ProfessorWerner Niefer, Chairman of Mercedes at the time, decided the cars should be paintedsilver, marking the revival of the famed Silver Arrows. The highlight of this partnershipwas the same year, 1989, which brought not only the drivers and manufacturers titlesin the World Sports Car Championship, but a one-two result in the legendary Le Mans24-hour race as well. The following year saw a repeat win of the World Championshiptitle. Sauber Motorsport had grown to a workforce of 50.

It was also during this time that the junior team was set up, based on an idea ofSaubers business partner of the time, Jochen Neerpasch. The drivers selected wereMichael Schumacher, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger. Peter Sauber pavedthe way for all three to enter Formula One.

Formula One

With the lustre of the World Sports Car Championship beginning to fade, Mercedesnow looked to Formula One. In the summer of 1991 it was declared a joint project, andpreparations went into full swing. Sauber set about building a new factory on thecompany site in Hinwil.

However, that November brought with it bad news. Due to the straitened economicclimate, the Mercedes board had decided against sending a works team into FormulaOne. Peter Sauber had two options: to accept a financial settlement and withdraw, or touse the money as start-up capital for his own Formula One involvement. In January1992 he took the plunge, and by autumn the first test drives in the C12 were under way,with an Ilmor engine providing power. The company was then employing just under 70staff.

On 14th

March 1993, according to plan, two Sauber C12 cars piloted by KarlWendlinger and JJ Lehto lined up for the South African Grand Prix. With two WorldChampionship points for fifth place claimed by the Finnish driver, this debut turned outan acclaimed success. Contracts signed with Red Bull and Petronas in 1995 provided asolid foundation and enabled the Swiss team to establish itself as a firm fixture inFormula One. In 1995 and 1996 Sauber served as the works team for Ford, and from1997 onwards the cars were powered by Ferrari engines bearing the name of the titlesponsor Petronas.

But the breakthrough was some time in coming. Finally, in 2001, three high points inthe teams history arrived in rapid succession: the partnership with major Swiss bankCredit Suisse, fourth place in the Constructors World Championship secured in mid-October and, just a few days later, the groundbreaking ceremony for the teams veryown wind tunnel.

Peter Sauber also decided to introduce some fresh blood into Formula One at this time,signing Kimi Rikknen and Felipe Massa up to his team and later recommendingRobert Kubica to the decision-makers at BMW.


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BMW

Two thousand and five saw Peter Sauber on the lookout for a new engine partner. Nowin his sixties, he was not disinclined to pass his lifes work on into capable hands. An

offer from BMW seemed like a good solution. The car manufacturer, which had beeninvolved in Formula One with Williams since 2000, was keen to set up its own worksteam. On 22

ndJune 2005, BMW announced its acquisition of a majority stake in the

Swiss team.

The 2008 Season the third year of the BMW Sauber F1 Team would mark the nextmilestone in the history of the team. The extension at Hinwil had in the meantime beencompleted and the workforce had crossed the 400 threshold. The teams target for thatyear was to achieve its maiden victory which turned out to be a one-two, with RobertKubica winning in Canada ahead of Nick Heidfeld. In all, the BMW Sauber F1 notchedup 11 podium places in 2008. Kubica claimed the teams first pole position in Bahrainand Heidfeld boosted the statistics with the first two fastest race laps. The team endedthe World Championship in third place with 135 points.

Following a challenging start to season 2009, shock news broke on 29th

July: at a pressconference in Munich, BMW announced it was withdrawing from Formula One at theend of the season. The company bowed out with 36 points and sixth place in the WorldChampionship.

Starting over

The next press conference would be held on 27th

November 2009, this time in Hinwil.Peter Sauber had reached an agreement with BMW and bought back his lifes work.But the joy was tempered by disappointment as BMW had already decided to reducethe workforce. Employee numbers were whittled down from 388 at this point to 260. Itwas with this pared-down workforce, with Ferrari as engine partner and drivers KamuiKobayashi and Pedro de la Rosa that the Hinwil team embarked on the 2010 raceseason.

The first half of the season was marred by numerous technical retirements, which wereunprecedented in the teams history. After the first eight races, the team had a singleWorld Championship point to its name. By the end of the season this had risen to 44, ofwhich Kobayashi had picked up 32, with De la Rosa and Heidfeld who replaced theSpaniard in the last five Grands Prix each contributing six points.

The team hired another rookie, Sergio Prez, for the 2011 season. The Mexicansarrival meant Kobayashi would have to take on leadership responsibilities in only hissecond full season on the F1 grid. The year began with the team getting to grips withthe tyres developed by the new sole F1 supplier Pirelli, completing a promisingprogramme of winter testing and jetting off for an opening race in which a strong teamperformance ultimately gave way to frustration. Prez and Kobayashi crossed the finishline seventh and eighth in Melbourne, only to be subsequently disqualified after a rearwing element was deemed to have contravened the rules. The team lost the 10 pointsits performance had earned, but consolation arrived in the knowledge that thenecessary speed was there. Strong showings duly followed in the next few races. InMonaco, for example, Prez had just made it through to the top-ten qualifying shootoutfor the first time when he lost control of the C30 on the exit from the high-speed tunnelsection and slammed into the barriers with devastating force. The Mexican youngsterwas initially motionless in the car. After what felt like an eternity the news came throughthat he had got away with severe concussion. Kobayashi went on to show great mentalstrength to finish fifth in the race, the best result of the season for the Sauber F1 Team.


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Prez also had to sit out the next race in Canada, with De la Rosa taking his place atshort notice.

After a good first half of the season which saw the team occupying what looked like a

safe sixth place in the Constructors World Championship, the team endured a drop inform. The cause of their downturn was rooted in a controversial technology: diffusersfed by the cars exhaust flow, even thanks to sophisticated engine mapping whenthe driver is off the throttle. The FIA announced a ban on the practice, only tosubsequently reverse its decision. In the meantime, the team had stopped developmentof an outboard blown diffuser for the C30, which put them at a disadvantage againstrival teams still running the technology. Despite this handicap of well over a second perlap, the young drivers still managed to add to the teams World Championship pointshaul. The Sauber F1 Team eventually finished seventh in the ConstructorsChampionship on 44 points. Kobayashi was responsible for 30 of those, with Prezrecording 14 points. Both Kobayashi and Prez, together with Mexican reserve driverEsteban Gutirrez, were confirmed for the 2012 season as early as the summer.

Only three of their rivals on this years grid Ferrari, McLaren and Williams havebeen in Formula One longerthan Peter Saubers team. A total of22 drivers lined up forthe Swiss outfit in 326 Grands Prix between 1993 and 2011.


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Stats (1993 through 2011)

Driver Grands Prixfor Sauber Pointsfor Sauber

JJ Lehto (FI/1993-1994) 18 5

Karl Wendlinger (AT/1993-1995) 25 11

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (DE/1994-96/2002-03) 64 42

Andrea De Cesaris (IT/1994) 9 1

Jean-Christoph Boullion (FR/1995) 11 3

Johnny Herbert (GB/1996-1998) 48 20

Nicola Larini (IT/1997) 5 1

Gianni Morbidelli ((IT/1997) 7 0

Norberto Fontana (AR/1997) 4 0

Jean Alesi (FR/1998-1999) 32 11

Pedro Diniz (BR/1999-2000) 32 3

Mika Salo (FI/2000) 16 6

Nick Heidfeld (DE/2001-2003/2006-2009/2010) 125 194

Kimi Rikknen (FI/2001) 17 9

Felipe Massa (BR/2002/2004-2005) 53 27

Giancarlo Fisichella (IT/2004) 18 22

Jacques Villeneuve (CD/2005-2006) 31 16

Robert Kubica (PL/2006-2009) 57 137

Sebastian Vettel (DE/2007) 1 1

Pedro de la Rosa (ES/2010/2011) 14 6

Kamui Kobayashi (JP/2010-2011) 38 62

Sergio Prez (MX/2011) 17 14

Total 642 591


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World Championship points and rankings in the Constructors WorldChampionship

Season Grands Prix Points Ranking

1993 16 12 7

1994 16 12 8

1995 17 18 7

1996 16 11 7

1997 17 16 7

1998 16 10 6

1999 16 5 8

2000 17 6 8

2001 17 21 4

2002 17 11 5

2003 16 19 6

2004 18 34 6

2005 19 20 8

2006 18 36 5

2007 17 101 2

2008 18 135 3

2009 17 36 6

2010 19 44 8

2011 19 44 7

Total 326 591


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Press contact and services

Hanspeter BrackHead of CommunicationsWildbachstrasse 9CH-8340 HinwilSwitzerlandPhone +41-(0)44-9 37 94 50

Fax +41-(0)44-9 37 90 01Mobile +41-(0)79-7 70 18 [email protected]

Heike HientzschMedia ManagerFeuerwehrstrasse 24D-51588 NmbrechtGermanyPhone +49-(0)22 93-90 39 94Fax +49-(0)22 93-90 39 95

Mobile +49-(0)172-6 20 99 [email protected]

We would be pleased to send you press information automatically byemail. If you are not yet on our mailing list or have a new address,please contact Heike Hientzsch.

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