page_title: Sauber
section_title: The Ferrari era (1997–2005)
hierarchical_section_title: Sauber / Formula One / The Ferrari era (1997–2005)
caption_attribution_description: Jean Alesi driving for Sauber at the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix.
context_page_description: Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber. The team ran its first Formula One in 1993.
  Sauber was an independent team, it did not have the backing of a automobile manufacuer such as Ferrari. Having not won a single Grand Prix race, the team was sold to BMW in 2005. The team competed as BMW Sauber from 2006 to 2009, and won one race. At the end of the 2009 season, BMW deceided to leave Formula One.
  The race team's future was uncertain for several months. BMW sold the team back to Peter Sauber which allowed the team to race in 2010 entry. Due to issues with the Formula One contract, the team name will remain BMW Sauber for the 2010 season.
context_section_description: Sauber used Ferrari designed engines from 1997 to 2005. They were built by Sauber Petronas Engineering, a company founded for purpose of building these engines. The engines were nearly identical to the ones used by Ferrari. Sauber Petronas Engineering also built the gearboxes  used by Sauber. Sauber licensed nearly every part they could from Ferrari. Sauber even had several Ferrari engineers on staff. Suspicious similarities between Ferrari and Sauber chassis were pointed out, but no formal accusations were ever made. The FIA rules require each team to design their own chassis.
  In 2001 Sauber brought a virtually unknown and very inexperienced Kimi Räikkönen into Formula One. There were protests by a few drivers and members of the FIA, including Max Mosley. They believed Räikkönen would pose a danger to other drivers. His good performance that year proved the Sauber decision right. Räikkönen would later go on to win the 2007 Drivers Championship with Ferrari.
  In its later years, Sauber's ties with Ferrari became weaker. They sided with the other teams over planned rule changes. Then they decided to switch to Michelin tyres, while Ferrari continued to use Bridgestones. Sauber's final grand prix came in China. Sauber departed F1 with their best results; six third places and two front row starts.
  Among the notable Sauber drivers were Jean Alesi, 2008 Formula One championship runner-up Felipe Massa, Johnny Herbert and 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve. Two former Sauber drivers, Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve, drove for the new BMW Sauber team in 2006. BMW ownership of Sauber started on January 1, 2006.
caption: Jean Alesi driving for Sauber at the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix.
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