Sauber set for '400' race milestone in Austin

This year's US Grand Prix marks an outstanding milestone for Sauber F1 as the team will be racing in its 400th Grand Prix in its 23-year history.

Founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, the Hinwill based outfit progressed from hill climbing in Switzerland to the World Sports Prototype Championship and eventually to Formula 1 in 1993.

Having not won a GP as an independent, the team was sold to BMW in 2005, and competed as BMW Sauber from 2006 to 2009, scoring one victory with Robert Kubica in Canada in 2008. At the end of the 2009 season, however, BMW pulled out of F1 and the team was sold back to Peter Sauber and granted a 2010 entry.

Original founder Peter Sauber currently still owns a controlling 66.6% stake in the team, with the remainder belonging to CEO Monisha Kaltenborn who has been a leading figure in the team since BMW's withdrawal

Historically, Sauber has almost made it a principal to employ at least one young rookie driver, offering aspiring champions scouted by Peter Sauber their apprenticeship in the sport.

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Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa have been the most successful neophyte's to have started their career at Hinwill.

"My time at Sauber is special to me because it was the start of my F1 career," remembers Felie Massa.

"Overall I spent three years there, living in Switzerland and learning a lot while in the car. We had some good results, and I was in the points in the second race of my first season."

"My stand out moment was in Canada in 2005 when I finished fourth, but we had many good performances in the years I was there. I have many fond memories."

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