Model
C16
Year
1997
Team
Red Bull Sauber Petronas
State
Rolling chassis
Price
Sold
Description
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.
Watch the presentation by Pierre Van Liet
Drivers
Norberto FONTANA
January 20, 1975
Gianni Morbidelli
January 13, 1968
Johnny HERBERT
June 25, 1964
Nicola LARINI
March 19, 1964
Chassis #06 history
Grand prix
France
car number
17
Driver
Norberto Fontana
starting grid
20th
race result
DNF Crash
Grand prix
Great Britain
car number
17
Pilot
Norberto Fontana
starting grid
22th
race result
9th
Grand prix
Germany
car number
17
Pilot
Norberto Fontana
starting grid
18th
race result
9th
Grand prix
Hungary
car number
17
Pilot
Gianni Morbidelli
starting grid
15th
race result
DNF Engine
Grand prix
Belgium
car number
17
Pilot
Gianni Morbidelli
starting grid
13th
race result
9th
Grand prix
Italy
car number
17
Pilot
Gianni Morbidelli
starting grid
18th
race result
12th
Grand prix
Austria
car number
17
Pilot
Gianni Morbidelli
starting grid
13th
race result
9th
Grand prix
Luxembourg
car number
17
Pilot
Gianni Morbidelli
starting grid
19th
race result
9th
Grand prix
Japan
car number
17
Pilot
Gianni Morbidelli
starting grid
18th Crash
race result
DNS
Grand prix
Europe
car number
17
Pilot
Gianni Morbidelli
starting grid
18th
race result
14th