Sauber C16
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| Category | Formula One | ||||||||
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| Constructor | Sauber | ||||||||
| Designer(s) | Leo Ress | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Sauber C15 | ||||||||
| Successor | Sauber C17 | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure | ||||||||
| Suspension (front) | double wishbones, pushrod, coil spring/damper | ||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | double wishbones, pushrod, coil spring/damper | ||||||||
| Engine | Petronas (Ferrari) 75-degree V10 | ||||||||
| Transmission | Sauber six-speed longitudinal semi-automatic | ||||||||
| Fuel | Petronas | ||||||||
| Tyres | Goodyear | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | Red Bull Sauber Petronas | ||||||||
| Notable drivers |
16.  Johnny Herbert17.  Nicola Larini17. Gianni Morbidelli17.  Norberto Fontana | ||||||||
| Debut | 1997 Australian Grand Prix | ||||||||
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| Constructors' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The Sauber C16 was the car with which the Sauber Formula One team competed in the 1997 Formula One season. It was initially driven by Johnny Herbert, who was in his second season with the team, and Nicola Larini. Larini's place in the team was secured via an arrangement that gave the team the previous year's Ferrari engines that were used in the F310 that scored three wins in 1996, badged as Petronas in deference to the team's major Malaysian sponsor. This agreement to use Ferrari engines lasted until the team's purchase by BMW for 2006.
However, Larini, Ferrari's test driver, was unhappy with the team's ambience and quit after five Grands Prix. Gianni Morbidelli was brought in as a replacement, but he broke his arm on two separate occasions during the year and had to be replaced by rookie Norberto Fontana whilst he recovered. All three drivers were comprehensively out-performed by Herbert.
Against some expectations, the car was competitive at the beginning of the season, but fell away slightly as the season progressed due to lack of development compared with better-funded rivals. Herbert's impressive season culminated in the team's third-ever podium finish at the 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix (where he also beat both works Ferraris). He scored all but one of the team's tally of points.
The team eventually finished seventh in the Constructors' Championship, with 16 points.
Many years later, some photos were leaked showing a top secret test carried out by Michael Schumacher in the C16 at Ferrari's test track at Fiorano in Italy. The test took place in September 1997 in a de-badged C16.[1][2]
Complete Formula One results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Sauber | Petronas 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 |
References
- AUTOCOURSE 1997-98, Henry, Alan (ed.), Hazleton Publishing Ltd. (1997) ISBN 1-874557-47-0
- ↑ Young, Andy (14 October 2012). "Richland’s Road of Nostalgia: Michael Schumacher’s Secret 1997 Sauber Test".
- ↑ Deviantart, F1-history. "Michael Schumacher (Italy Test 1997)".
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