Autosport Podcast: Sauber's greatest ever racing cars

The Swiss team founded by Peter Sauber started life in hillclimbing in 1970, and was a regular entrant at the Le Mans 24 Hours before earning Mercedes backing and winning the race outright in 1989 with the C9.

After winning that year's World Sportscar Championship, it doubled up in 1990 with the C11 - giving a first professional race drive to Michael Schumacher - before entering Formula 1 in 1993 and scoring points in its first race at the South African Grand Prix with the C12.

Sauber managed one podium in four successive seasons between 1995 and 1998, but it wasn't until 2001 that it broke out of the midfield on a consistent basis with the innovative C20 that helped it to finish fourth in the constructors championship and gave a debut to a fresh-faced Kimi Raikkonen.

• Autosport Plus celebrates Sauber at 50
• The manufacturer tie-up that put Sauber on the map
• How BMW-Sauber blew its chance of title glory
• How Sauber twice saved itself from the brink of extinction
• The twin-keel car that took Sauber to new heights
• How Sauber created its greatest legacy
• How Sauber upset the odds to win Le Mans

Following a takeover by BMW in 2006, Sauber challenged for the world championship in 2008 and the F1.08 gave Sauber its first win at the Canadian Grand Prix, but a decision to prioritise development of its 2009 challenger backfired and BMW withdrew at the end of that season.

Returning as an independent in 2010, the C31 earned four podiums in a superb 2012 season, but after failing to score in 2014, Sauber faced financial oblivion before a buyout led by the Swedish Longbow organisation allowed it to stay afloat and become the Alfa Romeo F1 team for 2018, giving Charles Leclerc his start in F1.

In this episode, guest host Stuart Codling is joined by Autosport Plus editor James Newbold, F1 reporter Luke Smith and technical editor Jake Boxall-Legge to discuss the most iconic Saubers and the team's impact on motorsport.