page_title: Sauber Motorsport
section_title: Independent return with Ferrari engines (2010–2017)
hierarchical_section_title: Sauber Motorsport / Formula One / Independent return with Ferrari engines (2010–2017)
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Kamui Kobayashi à Hockenheim en 2010
context_page_description: Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993. In 2019, following a sponsorship deal, Sauber Motorsport AG renamed their Formula One racing team to Alfa Romeo Racing after operating it under their own name from 1993 until 2018.
  Having not won a Grand Prix as an independent, the team was sold to BMW in 2005 and competed as BMW Sauber from 2006 to 2009, scoring one victory. At the end of the 2009 season, BMW pulled out of Formula One and the team's future remained uncertain for several months until it was sold back to Peter Sauber and granted a 2010 entry. Due to issues with the Concorde Agreement, the team remained as "BMW Sauber" for the 2010 season. In March 2010, Peter Sauber announced plans to change the team name during the season but the FIA announced that they would have to wait until the end of the season to change their name. At the beginning of the 2011 season, the team dropped BMW from their name.
context_section_description: 2010
  On 27 November 2009, it was announced that Peter Sauber would repurchase the team conditional upon the team receiving a FIA entry for the 2010 season.
  On 3 December 2009, the FIA confirmed that Sauber had been granted the entry vacated by Toyota Racing following their withdrawal and would be using Ferrari engines. Peter Sauber had previously announced, on 29 November, that the team's chassis for the 2010 season would be designated Sauber C29, while the Swiss newspaper Blick reported that the team will be called Team Sauber F1. However, in January 2010, Peter Sauber had said that he had not yet applied for a change of name, so therefore they remained for the season as BMW Sauber F1 Team despite zero BMW components. Kamui Kobayashi was announced as their first signed driver for the 2010 season on 17 December 2009. Pedro de la Rosa was signed as Sauber's second driver on 19 January 2010.
  Before the Singapore Grand Prix, it was announced that Nick Heidfeld would replace de la Rosa for the remaining 5 races of the season. Esteban Gutiérrez later joined the team as a reserve driver, and drove during young drivers' testing after the end of the season.
  Despite promising pace in winter testing, the team struggled with technical problems in the early rounds of the season, with no points from the first six races. After running a blank livery for the first four races of the 2010 season, the team finally announced a sponsorship deal with the Burger King fast food franchise at the Spanish and European Grands Prix. During frustrations, Peter Sauber admitted that his decision to rescue the team had been emotionally driven, but insisted that it was proper. Finally, in Turkey, Kobayashi finished 10th, collecting the team's first championship point for the season.
  At the European Grand Prix in Valencia, after qualifying in 18th place, Kobayashi drew attention while driving a vast proportion of the race in 3rd position defending from Jenson Button who was following closely behind in 4th. After entering the pits during the closing stages of the race to switch tyres, Kobayashi exited the pit in 9th. In the last few laps of the race, Kobayashi overtook the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and the Toro Rosso of Sébastien Buemi for a 7th-place finish. The impressive drive from Kobayashi received much acclaim and was Sauber's best result of the season to-date. Pedro de la Rosa meanwhile, despite originally crossing the line in 10th position to secure 1 point, would eventually only finish in 12th place after a penalty, stripping away a double points finish. This accomplishment, however, was later achieved at the Japanese Grand Prix and Korean Grand Prix.
  The second half of the season gave more productive and consistent results; The drives of Kobayashi, Heidfeld and de la Rosa combined earned 44 points, giving the team 8th place in the Constructors' Championship. Kobayashi performed the team's season-best finish of 6th at the British Grand Prix.
  2011
  Kobayashi was retained for 2011; he was joined by teammate Sergio Pérez and his compatriot Esteban Gutiérrez as reserve driver. The team debuted their 2011 car – the C30 – on 31 January, with testing beginning the following day.
  At the start of the season in Australia, both Pérez and Kobayashi were later disqualified due to technical infringements. Pérez suffered a major collision at the Monaco Grand Prix, resulting in concussion and a sprained thigh. Despite being passed fit for the Canadian Grand Prix, Pérez withdrew from the weekend after the first free practice session due to illness, he was replaced by 2010 Sauber driver Pedro de la Rosa for the remainder of the weekend.
  For the remainder of the season, the team obtained regular top-10 finishes, and overall finished 7th in the Constructors' Championship.
  On 28 July, it was announced that Kobayashi, Pérez and Gutiérrez would all remain in the Sauber setup for the 2012 season.
  2012
  Sauber started the 2012 season with a double points-scoring finish – Kobayashi sixth and Pérez eighth – in Australia, before Pérez finished second the following week, at t
caption: Kamui Kobayashi racing during the 2010 German Grand Prix
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