At the Canadian Grand Prix on 8th June 2008, Robert Kubica claimed the BMW Sauber F1 Team’s maiden victory ahead of his team mate Nick Heidfeld.
It was the 42nd Grand Prix for the team.
Prior to this win, the BMW Sauber F1 Team had been on the podium eight times: at the 2006 Hungarian GP (Nick Heidfeld/3rd place), 2006 Italian GP (Robert Kubica/3rd place), 2007 Canadian GP (Heidfeld/2nd place), 2007 Hungarian GP (Heidfeld/3rd place), 2008 Australian GP (Heidfeld/2nd place), 2008 Malaysian GP (Kubica/2nd place), 2008 Bahrain GP (Kubica/3rd place), 2008 Monaco GP (Kubica/2nd place)..
In the years before BMW bought it (1993-2005), the Sauber Team’s highest race finish was third (six times).
The first Formula One win by a BMW engine was on 13th June 1982 (Nelson Piquet, Brabham BMW, Canada).
The last Formula One win to date by a BMW engine was on 24th October 2004 (Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW WilliamsF1 Team, Brazil).
With Brabham, BMW claimed eight wins in the years 1982 to 1985. The final victory with the legendary turbo unit was in 1986 with Benetton. During the partnership with WilliamsF1 (2000 to 2005) the tally was ten wins.
1983 saw Nelson Piquet win the Formula One Drivers’ Championship (Brabham BMW). In total BMW had recorded 19 Grand Prix wins and 33 pole positions before the BMW Sauber F1 Team was founded.
Landmarks.
16th/17th January 2006: The BMW Sauber F1 Team appears in public for the first time in Valencia. The BMW Sauber F1.06 has its first outing.
12th March 2006: The BMW Sauber F1 Team competes in its first GP in Bahrain.
19th March 2006: The team picks up its first World Championship points in the second race when Jacques Villeneuve finishes seventh in Malaysia.
2nd April 2006: In the third GP both drivers make it into the points; Heidfeld finishes fourth and Villeneuve sixth in Australia.
6th August 2006: Heidfeld secures the first podium place in the team’s 13th World Championship race. Kubica has his debut Formula One race in Budapest.
10th September 2006: Kubica claims the team’s second trophy after finishing third in Monza.
October 2006: The Hinwil wind tunnel is operating in three shifts. A year previously it had been on a single daily shift.
22nd October 2006: The BMW Sauber F1 Team finishes fifth in the Constructors’ Championship at the end of its maiden year.
16th January 2007: Presentation of the BMW Sauber F1.07 and the BMW Sauber F1 Team in Valencia.
10th June 2007: Nick Heidfeld takes the first runner-up place for the team. Robert Kubica survives a serious accident practically unscathed.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team finishes its second season third overall. In the statistics it even appears in second place (after exclusion of McLaren Mercedes).
The team has moved into its new building in Hinwil. 150 new employers have been taken on board since the end of 2005.
14th January 2008: The BMW Sauber F1.08 is being launched in the ‘BMW Welt’ in Munich.
23rd March 2008: Heidfeld scores the first fastest race lap for team.
5th April 2008: Kubica achieved the first pole position for the BMW Sauber F1 Team.
- Joerg Kottmeier - Photo BMW
