Sauber Petronas Engineering

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]

Sauber Petronas Engineering AG
Company typePrivate company
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedHinwil, 1996
FounderPeter Sauber and Willy Rampf
Defunct2005 (due to BMW purchase)
HeadquartersHinwil, Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Peter Sauber, Willy Rampf and Osamu Goto [ja]
ProductsEngines and hydraulic manifolds
ServicesHigh performance engineering
ParentSauber F1 Team and Petronas
Petronas as a Formula One engine manufacturer
Formula One World Championship career
First entry1997 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry2005 Chinese Grand Prix
Races entered153 (151 starts)
ChassisSauber
Constructors' Championships0 (Best result: 4th, 2001)
Drivers'
Championships
0 (Best result: 8th, 2001, Nick Heidfeld)
Race victories0
Podiums4
Points142
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0

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

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

Year Entrant Chassis Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 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 16 7th
  Johnny Herbert Ret 7 4 Ret Ret 5 5 8 Ret Ret 3 4 Ret 8 7 6 8
  Nicola Larini 6 11 Ret 7 Ret
  Gianni Morbidelli 14 10 Ret 9 12 9 9 DNS
  Norberto Fontana Ret 9 9 14
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 10 6th
  Jean Alesi Ret 9 5 6 10 12 Ret 7 Ret Ret 10 7 3 5 10 7
  Johnny Herbert 6 11 Ret Ret 7 7 Ret 8 Ret 8 Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 10
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 5 8th
  Jean Alesi Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret Ret Ret 14 Ret 8 16 9 9 Ret 7 6
  Pedro Diniz Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 6 6 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 11
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 6 8th
  Pedro Diniz Ret DNS 8 11 Ret 7 Ret 10 11 9 Ret Ret 11 8 8 11 Ret
  Mika Salo DSQ DNS 6 8 7 Ret 5 Ret 10 6 5 10 9 7 Ret 10 8
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 21 4th
  Nick Heidfeld 4 Ret 3 7 6 9 Ret Ret Ret 6 6 Ret 6 Ret 11 6 9
  Kimi Räikkönen 6 Ret Ret Ret 8 4 10 4 10 7 5 Ret 7 DNS 7 Ret Ret
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 11 5th
  Nick Heidfeld Ret 5 Ret 10 4 Ret 8 12 7 6 7 6 9 10 10 9 7
  Felipe Massa Ret 6 Ret 8 5 Ret Ret 9 6 9 Ret 7 7 Ret Ret Ret
  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 19 6th
  Nick Heidfeld Ret 8 Ret 10 10 Ret 11 Ret 8 13 17 10 9 9 5 9
  Heinz-Harald Frentzen 6 9 5 11 Ret DNS Ret Ret 9 12 12 Ret Ret 13 3 Ret
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 34 6th
  Giancarlo Fisichella 10 11 11 9 7 Ret 6 4 9 12 6 9 8 5 8 7 8 9
  Felipe Massa Ret 8 12 10 9 5 9 Ret Ret 13 9 13 Ret 4 12 8 9 8
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 20 8th
  Jacques Villeneuve 13 Ret 11 4 Ret 11 13 9 DNS 8 14 15 Ret 11 11 6 12 12 10
  Felipe Massa 10 10 7 10 11 9 14 4 DNS Ret 10 8 14 Ret 9 10 11 10 6

References

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