1997 Sauber C16-04
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 Sauber the previous year's Ferrari engines—those used in the F310, which 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 the 2006 season. The engine used is a Petronas SPE-01 V10.
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 while he recovered.
All three drivers were comprehensively outperformed by Herbert.
Against some expectations, the car was competitive at the beginning of the season but fell away slightly as the year progressed, due to a lack of development compared to 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 total points.
The team eventually finished seventh in the Constructors' Championship, with 16 points.
Many years later, 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.
Chassis C17-04 is race-ready, comes with complete history, and is available for sale. Price upon request. Inquire here.
Article and Photography by Officina Caira.
