Sauber Petronas Engineering

Last updated

Sauber Petronas Engineering AG
Company type Private company
Industry Automotive
Founded Hinwil, 1996
Founder Peter Sauber and Willy Rampf
Defunct2005 (due to BMW purchase)
Headquarters Hinwil, Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Peter Sauber, Willy Rampf and Osamu Goto  [ ja ]
ProductsEngines and hydraulic manifolds
ServicesHigh performance engineering
Parent Sauber F1 Team and Petronas
Petronas as a Formula One engine manufacturer
Formula One World Championship career
First entry 1997 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry 2005 Chinese Grand Prix
Races entered153 (151 starts)
Chassis Sauber
Constructors' Championships 0 (Best result: 4th, 2001)
Drivers'
Championships
0 (Best result: 8th, 2001, Nick Heidfeld)
Race victories0
Podiums4
Points142
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0

Sauber Petronas Engineering AG (SPE) was a company owned jointly by the Swiss racing car manufacturer Sauber (60%) and the Malaysian oil company Petronas (40%). It was founded in 1996 [1] for the purpose of supplying engines to the Sauber Formula One team but at the same time the company began work on the design of production car engines for the Malaysian national car company Proton. [2] The company also helped develop racing motorcycles like Petronas GP1. [3]

Former Honda and Ferrari engineer Osamu Goto was in charge of the Powertrain Division, including the F1 engine program. [1] [2]

The engines were for many years nearly identical to the ones used by Ferrari but were branded Petronas. Sauber licensed nearly every legally licensable part from Ferrari and even had several Ferrari engineers on staff. Many pointed out suspicious similarities between Ferrari and Sauber chassis, but no formal accusations were ever made, even if FIA rules require each team to design their own chassis. The long-term aim of Sauber Petronas was to design and build its own F1 engines for the 1999 season but the programme was abandoned, choosing instead to continue with the Ferrari units. [2]

In 1998, Petronas commissioned the Powertrain Division of SPE to design their own first commercial automotive engine, the Petronas E01e engine. [3]

After the 2005 season, Sauber was bought by BMW and the co-operation with Ferrari ended.

Formula One engine results

(key; results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearEntrantChassisEngineTyresDrivers12345678910111213141516171819 Points WCC
1997 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C16 Petronas SPE-01 3.0 V10 G AUS BRA ARG SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA AUT LUX JPN EUR 167th
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Johnny Herbert Ret74RetRet558RetRet34Ret8768
Flag of Italy.svg Nicola Larini 611Ret7Ret
Flag of Italy.svg Gianni Morbidelli 1410Ret91299DNS
Flag of Argentina.svg Norberto Fontana Ret9914
1998 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C17 Petronas SPE-01D V10 G AUS BRA ARG SMR ESP MON CAN FRA GBR AUT GER HUN BEL ITA LUX JPN 106th
Flag of France.svg Jean Alesi Ret9561012Ret7RetRet10735107
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Johnny Herbert 611RetRet77Ret8Ret8Ret10RetRetRet10
1999 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C18 Petronas SPE-03A 3.0 V10 B AUS BRA SMR MON ESP CAN FRA GBR AUT GER HUN BEL ITA EUR MAL JPN 58th
Flag of France.svg Jean Alesi RetRet6RetRetRetRet14Ret81699Ret76
Flag of Brazil.svg Pedro Diniz RetRetRetRetRet6Ret66RetRetRetRetRetRet11
2000 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C19 Petronas SPE 04A 3.0 V10 B AUS BRA SMR GBR ESP EUR MON CAN FRA AUT GER HUN BEL ITA USA JPN MAL 68th
Flag of Brazil.svg Pedro Diniz RetDNS811Ret7Ret10119RetRet118811Ret
Flag of Finland.svg Mika Salo DSQDNS687Ret5Ret10651097Ret108
2001 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C20 Petronas 01A 3.0 V10 B AUS MAL BRA SMR ESP AUT MON CAN EUR FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA USA JPN 214th
Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld 4Ret3769RetRetRet66Ret6Ret1169
Flag of Finland.svg Kimi Räikkönen 6RetRetRet841041075Ret7DNS7RetRet
2002 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C21 Petronas 02A 3.0 V10 B AUS MAL BRA SMR ESP AUT MON CAN EUR GBR FRA GER HUN BEL ITA USA JPN 115th
Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld Ret5Ret104Ret81276769101097
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Massa Ret6Ret85RetRet969Ret77RetRetRet
Flag of Germany.svg Heinz-Harald Frentzen 13
2003 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C22 Petronas 03A 3.0 V10 B AUS MAL BRA SMR ESP AUT MON CAN EUR FRA GBR GER HUN ITA USA JPN 196th
Flag of Germany.svg Nick Heidfeld Ret8Ret1010Ret11Ret81317109959
Flag of Germany.svg Heinz-Harald Frentzen 69511RetDNSRetRet91212RetRet133Ret
2004 Red Bull Sauber Petronas Sauber C23 Petronas 04A 3.0 V10 B AUS MAL BHR SMR ESP MON EUR CAN USA FRA GBR GER HUN BEL ITA CHN JPN BRA 346th
Flag of Italy.svg Giancarlo Fisichella 10111197Ret6491269858789
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Massa Ret81210959RetRet13913Ret412898
2005 Sauber Petronas Sauber C24 Petronas 05A 3.0 V10 M AUS MAL BHR SMR ESP MON EUR CAN USA FRA GBR GER HUN TUR ITA BEL BRA JPN CHN 208th
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jacques Villeneuve 13Ret114Ret11139DNS81415Ret11116121210
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Massa 1010710119144DNSRet10814Ret91011106

References

  1. 1 2 "The C21 Car Specifications". Autosport.com. Haymarket Media Group.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sauber Petronas Engineering". Grandprix.com. Inside F1.
  3. 1 2 "Sauber roll out new motorcycle venture". GPUpdate.net. JHED Media.