Sauber trained as an electrician before becoming a car salesman in Hinwil, Switzerland, an experience that sparked his involvement in motorsport. He began competing in hillclimbing events in a Volkswagen Beetle, laying the groundwork for his future as a team owner.
In 1970, Sauber drove the Sauber C1, a car he built in his parents’ basement with a 1-litre Ford Cosworth engine, to the Swiss hillclimb championship. He subsequently handed over the driver’s seat to Hans Kunis in 1971, driving the new Sauber C2 model. By 1973, Sauber was building chassis for multiple customers, producing three C3 spec cars. The C4 of 1975 was the first Sauber car to utilize an aluminium chassis. The C5, powered by a 2-litre BMW engine, proved highly successful, winning the 1976 Interserie Championship in the hands of Herbert Muller. Sauber entered the C5 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 1977 and 1978, leading its class in both races before ultimately retiring.
In 1979, Sauber shifted focus to preparing chassis for Lola F2 cars, with drivers finishing 1–2–4 in the championship. He then partnered with BMW to develop M1 sportscars in 1980 and 1981, winning the 1000km Nürburgring in the latter year. In 1982, Sauber returned to sports car racing with the C6, the first Sauber car to undergo wind tunnel testing. A partnership with Mercedes-Benz began in 1985, culminating in the careers of Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger in 1991.
Sauber began preparing for a Formula One entry in the early 1990s, with Harvey Postlethwaite joining the team in 1991 to design an F1 car and Mercedes funding a new factory. Sauber entered F1 independently in 1993, with JJ Lehto and Karl Wendlinger driving cars powered by Ilmor engines rebadged as Saubers. Though the team secured a deal with Mercedes in 1994, it was short-lived, leading to a partnership with Ford. A deal with Petronas followed in 1995, resulting in the establishment of Sauber Petronas Engineering, though the F1 engine program was later scrapped in 1998. Sauber achieved its best results in the early 2000s, finishing fourth in the World Championship in 2001 and fifth in 2002, despite operating on a smaller budget than many competitors, but never secured a race win.
In June 2005, BMW acquired a major shareholding in the Sauber team, with Peter Sauber retaining a 20% stake and taking on an advisory role. BMW withdrew from Formula One at the end of 2009, prompting Sauber to work on a rescue package. After a failed deal with Qadbak Investments Ltd, BMW agreed to sell the team back to Peter Sauber in November 2009, contingent on FIA approval for the 2010 season. The FIA confirmed Sauber’s entry in December 2009, and Sauber regained ownership. He later transferred a one-third stake in the Sauber Group to Monisha Kaltenborn in 2012, who subsequently became team principal in 2013.
The 2016 season saw Sauber face financial difficulties, leading to the team’s sale to Longbow Finance in July 2016. Following the sale, Peter Sauber announced his retirement from motorsport, with Pascal Picci taking his position at the company. Sauber is married to Christiane, and they have two sons, Philipp and Alex, the latter of whom began working for the Sauber team in 2010.
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