Peter Sauber’s farewell watch: Revival, records and the road to Audi

Sauber, one of Formula 1’s most-loved privateer teams, has scored points in three consecutive races for the first time since 2022. Over this stretch, the team has amassed 20 points — more than Red Bull Racing’s 19 — the same outfit that reigning world champion Max Verstappen drives for.

With 26 points on the board, Sauber currently sits ninth in the Constructors’ Championship, just two points behind Aston Martin. Remarkably, they have already scored more points in 2025 than in the last two seasons combined (24 points).

For Gulf News, I caught up with Peter Sauber — the eponymous founder of the team who stepped away from an active role after the 2016 Formula 1 season.

“I am still very emotionally attached to F1 — especially the Sauber team,” Sauber confessed.

In 2025, Sauber was one of only two teams to change both drivers. Veteran Nico Hulkenberg was joined by rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, the reigning Formula 2 champion.

“There are new drivers in both seats, and I think it is a good combination. Nico was a smart choice. He made a strong impression during his two years at Haas. It’s also valuable that he is familiar with Sauber, having raced for the team in 2013,” Sauber said.

As expected, Hulkenberg has scored the bulk of Sauber’s early-season points — 22 of their 26.

“I also consider Gabriel Bortoleto to be a valuable addition to the team,” Sauber added. “He was a junior at McLaren and achieved good results. He will certainly not have an easy task, as there are quite a few rookies on the grid this year, which puts some pressure on him.”

At the recent Austrian Grand Prix, Bortoleto scored his first points of the season and became the 19th driver to do so in 2025. He also broke into the top 10 in qualifying for the first time in his 11-race Formula 1 career.

Sauber’s performance revival has been fuelled by a string of car upgrades that have delivered improved lap times, and by sharper pit-stop execution — improving from seventh fastest in 2024 to fourth fastest this season.

As part of preparations for its transformation into Audi from 2026, Sauber made two key leadership hires. Former Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur joined the team last August, followed by former Red Bull Racing Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley in April this year.

The effects are already showing.

“Audi has the means and skills to tackle this challenging task,” Sauber said. “They’ve filled two important positions with experienced people.” He stressed, however, that transformation in Formula 1 often requires patience and perseverance.

The switch to Audi means the Sauber name will disappear from the grid.

“It certainly hurts to see the Sauber name disappear after 55 years, and with it the ‘C’ in the chassis designation. After all, Sauber is one of the oldest Formula 1 teams,” Sauber said, visibly emotional. “But it is more important to me that Sauber is in the safe hands of Audi for the years to come.”

— Kunal Shah is an FIA-accredited Formula 1 journalist & a TV expert. He is the former Head of Marketing, Sponsorship & junior driver programme at the Force India F1 team.