On June 11, 1989, three Sauber-Mercedes C9s flew in formation into Le Mans across the finish line. Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in their Silver Arrows. It was the return of the Silver Arrows to the motorsport stage – and at the same time, the rehabilitation of a great automotive name that had become somewhat staid and bourgeois in racing in previous years. Today, Mercedes, along with its subsidiary AMG, stands for performance and innovation. Behind this is one person who had helped Mercedes achieve this victory and two titles in the Sports Car World Championships: Peter Sauber.
Sauber-Mercedes - The Return of the Silver Arrows!
On June 11, 1989, three Sauber-Mercedes C9s crossed the finish line in Le Mans in formation. Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter, and Stanley Dickens won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in their Silver Arrows. It marked the return of the Silver Arrows to the motorsport stage – and at the same time, the rehabilitation of a great automotive name that had become somewhat staid and stuffy in racing in the years prior. Today, Mercedes, along with its subsidiary AMG, stands for performance and innovation. Behind this stands a person who had helped Mercedes achieve this victory and two titles in the World Sportscar Championship: Peter Sauber.
From Switzerland to the International Stage
As is often the case with major motorsport teams and their founders, Peter Sauber also started his racing career with small steps. For him, it all began in Hinwil. After dropping out of his electrical engineering studies, Peter Sauber decided to construct his own racing cars, even though cars had traditionally been considered mere utility items by the Sauber family up to that point. Nevertheless, his family was always there for Peter Sauber: traditionally, Sauber Motorsport racing cars begin with the letter „C,“ which comes from Christine, his wife's first name. Every racing car from Hinwil was a step forward, eventually leading to a victory at Le Mans, as well as the World Sportscar Championship title, entry into the Formula 1 World Championship, and the first Grand Prix victory as a BMW works team.
His first race cars competed in smaller, national races where Peter Sauber gained a lot of experience. He then took the first step onto the international motorsport stage with the Sauber C5. This prototype was built according to Group 6 regulations. In 1976, Herbert Müller won the Interserie with it in the Francy Racing team. The Sauber C5 was also the first race car from Hinwil to be on the starting grid at Le Mans. Although the first outing was unsuccessful and no Sauber race cars started at Le Mans for a few years afterward, Peter Sauber remained loyal to sports cars, and the goal was, and always remained, Le Mans. Away from Le Mans, significant attention was given to a wide-body Group 5 BMW M1 developed by Peter Sauber on the basis of a tubular frame. This construction made it a remarkable 155 kg lighter overall than the Procar version. Nelson Piquet and Hans-Joachim Stuck won the 1000 km race at on it in 1981 Nürburgring; although it must also be said that an early race stoppage had benefited them here. Herbert Müller had collided with a parked Porsche 935 in the middle of the race in the Kesselchen area, the tank of which was still full. Herbert Müller had had no chance to escape the flames.
Commissioned work by Sauber-Mercedes
For the BMW M1, the company Seger & Hoffmann from Steckborn on Lake Constance had already produced individual plastic parts. Peter Sauber was commissioned to design a sports car for the company to establish itself as a manufacturer of racing cars for the newly created Group C World Championship. The SHS C6 was created. One model was sold to GS-Tuning, another model to Walter Brun, which was then also used by Peter Sauber. Sportingly, the SHS C6 was a flop. The Cosworth DFL V8 engine produced strong vibrations and shook attached parts and itself off the chassis. For example, an engine mount broke during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1982. The real success of this season was more on a personal level.
The connection to Mercedes engineers Leo Ress, Rüdiger Faul, and Hans-Helmut Jülicher was made at Seger & Hoffmann. Through Rüdiger Faul, the opportunity arose to use the large Mercedes-Benz wind tunnel in the evenings. The successor model, the C7, was significantly developed by Leo Ress, even though he had switched from Mercedes to BMW at the same time. A short time later, he became the chief engineer at Peter Sauber.
Mercedes engines in Sauber-Mercedes
In 1983, only Toni Garcia, Diego Montoya, and Pablo Montoya managed to break through the Porsche dominance with the C7 model at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, preventing an all-Porsche 956 sweep of the top ten positions. To even have a chance at overall victory, a new engine was needed. The 3.5-liter naturally aspirated engine from the BMW M1 simply lacked sufficient power. Since Leo Ress, Rüdiger Faul, and Hans-Helmut Jülicher were also involved in the Nardo speed record attempts, the idea arose to use a twin-turbocharged V8 engine from that very Nardo record car. Initially, Mercedes was not very receptive to the idea. However, Mercedes engines were tolerated in private teams. After discussions with a delegation of Mercedes engineers in Hinwil, support from Mercedes began to emerge.
In parallel with the C7, Leo Ress developed the C8 for the 1986 season. Many improvements to the aluminum monocoque, the chassis, the aerodynamics and the Mercedes engine, which was based on the M119 block, turned the Group C prototype into a favourite with the potential to make a big impact. For the 1986 season, Yves Saint Laurent and its own brand Kouros were secured as sponsors. The Sauber-Mercedes C8s, painted in dark blue, now regularly finished in the top 10. And then came the bombshell that many in the sports car world championship had expected in the medium term, because the Kouros-Mercedes were simply fast: Mike Thackwell and Henri Pescarolo won the rainy 1000-km race at the Nürburgring after all the Rothmans-Porsche and Silk Cut Jaguar XJR-6s had retired. It was the first victory for a Mercedes-engined racing car in 30 years, and the race was attended by the Mercedes board of directors. All the decision-makers were made aware of the significance that Peter Sauber's commitment could have for the image of the still seemingly staid Mercedes brand.
The fact that the new C9 also had sprint qualities was finally proven by Jean-Louis Schlesser in the last race of the ADAC Supercup in 1987 at the Nürburgring. The competition was strong. Experienced Group C drivers from recognized teams and Hans-Joachim Stuck in Porsche 962 PDK were two Sauber-Mercedes C8s. But Schlesser was undeterred and was the first to cross the finish line. The Frenchman proved once again that the Swiss team would play a bigger role in the Sports Car World Championship in the future.
1988 – Official Support for Sauber-Mercedes
The twin-charged V8 engine was now running with the new Bosch Motronic 2.7, had become more powerful, and also more efficient. With Michelin, a new tire manufacturer had been found who supplied top-quality tires. As early as the end of 1987, the deputy chairman announced that Mercedes-Benz wanted to return to motorsport. For the Group A touring cars, the AMG team was supported for the German Touring Car Championship, and in the Sports Car World Championship, Peter Sauber could finally officially rely on financial and technical support from Mercedes-Benz. In 1988, the Sauber-Mercedes cars now appeared entirely in black, with a stripe design intended to resemble a circuit board. AEG Olympia, a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, was emblazoned above as a sponsor. The C9 thus had one of the most beautiful designs in the Group era.
The Porsche 962s were no longer the dominators in Group C. In 1988, the aim was to beat the TWR-Jaguars. With the support of the factory, the Sauber-Mercedes now became the main opponent for Jaguar. The season began immediately with a sensational act that was not unexpected. Jean-Louis Schlesser and Jochen Mass won the opening race of the 1988 season in Jerez, Spain. The Sauber-Mercedes had already shown signs of strength in practice. Schlesser/Mass were two seconds faster than Martin Brundle in the Jaguar XJR-9, but despite the strong start, the Jaguar XJRs were unbeatable until the middle of the 1988 season. However, this changed from July 1988, when Schlesser/Mass again won the opening race on the new circuit in Brno, Czech Republic. They repeated this overall victory at the Nürburgring and at Sandown Park in Australia. The second driver pairing of Mauro Baldi and Stefan Johannson won the 1000km race at Spa-Franchorchamps. Although the team and their drivers had driven a strong season, they were beaten in the final standings by the Silk Cut Jaguar of Tom Walkinshaw-Racing. Martin Brundle secured the drivers' championship.
Le Mans trauma
In 1955, one of the worst accidents in motorsport history occurred in Le Mans. Since that time, this race has meant one thing above all for Mercedes: a trauma.
When Mercedes entered three silver-colored 300 SLRs for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955, the Germans were immediately considered favorites. The race cars, dubbed „Silver Arrows,“ already enjoyed cult status back then. Juan-Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss shared the number 19 car, Karl Kling and André Simon the number 21, while the third 300 SLR was driven by Pierre Levegh and John Fitch. The race went well. At 6.30 a.m., Mike Hawthorn in the Jaguar headed for the pits. He had just passed Lance Macklin in the Austin Healey. Macklin drove down the start and finish straight at around 200 km/h. When Hawthorn hit the brakes and his brake lights came on, Macklin tried to take evasive action and collided with Levegh, who was attempting to overtake him on the left at around 240 km/h at the same time. The Mercedes-Benz overturned, was torn into several pieces, the tank exploded and the wreckage flew over the heads of the spectators like a scythe. The terrible result was 83 fatalities and 100 spectators, some of them seriously injured. Mercedes withdrew from racing after the 1955 season. This decision had already been taken months before the race in Le Mans, but the terrible accident in Le Mans was one of the final reasons why the Board of Management at the time decided to no longer compete in motorsport with Silver Arrows from the factory. Private initiatives in touring car racing were grudgingly tolerated. Meanwhile, motorsport fans in Germany kept wondering when Mercedes would send its Silver Arrows back into battle. But to be associated with another devastating accident at Le Mans would have been the worst-case scenario that Mercedes wanted to avoid at all costs.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans had, in the meantime, become a sensitive topic for Peter Sauber, as his prototypes, it seemed, did not like this race. In 1985, John Nielsen in the C8 flipped at the end of the Mulsanne Straight and fortunately landed back on all four wheels. It was later discovered that the underbody had come loose, and the car had gotten air underneath it. The team could no longer repair the C8. Two years later, Klaus Niedzwiedz had a tire blow out on the Mulsanne Straight at over 350 km/h. Since this was already the fourth tire blowout of the season, Peter Sauber withdrew both of his C9s. Fortunately, no spectators were harmed in either accident. However, the memory of the 1955 accident kept resurfacing. For the Mercedes board, it was essential that such an accident should not happen again. With that, over 30 years of Le Mans passed without Mercedes participation.
Sauber-Mercedes: Silver Arrows
The motorsport world was then quite astonished at the 1989 season opener in Suzuka. Firstly, it was the first time since 1955 that a Mercedes works team was participating, and secondly – and this was the ultimate surprise – the two Sauber-Mercedes C9s had been painted silver. With almost no sponsors, they were reminiscent of glorious victories from the 1930s and 1950s. The Mercedes-Benz board thus committed themselves. Because a Silver Arrow was meant to win.
However, the decision to resurrect the Silver Arrows was not unanimous. Mercedes CEO Professor Dr. Niefer had to bring a silver-painted model to a meeting in Stuttgart to convince the expanded board of directors of the new traditional design. This was rejected by most members because they did not want to be exposed to political pressure. A little later, Dr. Niefer simply pushed through his wish to paint the cars silver, overriding the board in a conversation with Peter Sauber. Peter Sauber had a clear instruction.
Dream Le Mans
In 1989, the C9s were further refined thanks to factory support. The five-liter V8 Mercedes engine featured electronically controlled exhaust valves, which significantly improved its fuel consumption. The torque was immense, 810 Nm at 3500 rpm, and power could reach up to 930 hp in qualifying with corresponding boost pressure and at 7000 rpm. One of the biggest changes for the 1989 season was the switch to a 16-valve cylinder head.
The driver pairings in 1989 were once again Jean-Louis Schlesser and Jochen Mass, as well as Kenny Acheson and Mauro Baldi. The Sauber drivers won almost all the races of the 1989 World Sportscar Championship. Suzuka, Jarama, Brands Hatch, Nürburgring, Donington, Spa-Francorchamps, and Mexico – a Sauber-Mercedes C9 always crossed the finish line first. They thus easily won the World Sportscar Championship, and Jean-Louis Schlesser won the drivers' title. Jochen Mass, Mauro Baldi, and Kenny Acheson finished the season in second to fourth place. Porsche driver Frank Jelinski followed in fifth place overall. For Jaguar, the 1989 season was a disaster.
Le Mans was not part of the World Sports Car Championship in the 1989 season. But that did not diminish its significance. In 1989, everything was looking towards Le Mans. The return of the Silver Arrows generated a huge media response. Extensive testing was carried out in the run-up to the race to avoid a tire blowout like in 1988. The Michelin tires were retained. However, they had learned where the limits of this type of tire lay. The Michelin engineers recommended driving with even less downforce than planned in the race. As a result, Jean-Louis Schlesser drove along the long Hunaudières straight, which was not yet divided by chicanes, at almost 400 km/h in qualifying and achieved the second highest speed ever recorded at Le Mans. The driver pairing of Jean-Louis Schlesser/Alain Cudini/Jean-Pierre Ja-bouille was no less than four seconds faster than the best Jaguar XJR-9 in practice. The other two C9s were driven by Jochen Mass/Manuel Reu-ter/Stanley Dickens and Mauro Baldi/Kenny Acheson/Gianfranco Brancatelli.
Immediately after the start, two of the three Sauber-Mercedes took the lead. The Jaguar XJR-9s attacked on the first lap. Between them was the Joest-Racing Porsche 962, driven by Hans-Joachim Stuck and Bob Wollek. An exciting duel developed between these protagonists, in which no one escaped unscathed. Manuel Reuter drove over a lost exhaust pipe at the start of the race and damaged the underbody, which could be repaired during a longer pit stop. Alain Cudini spun during the race and damaged the rear wing. Jean-Louis Schlesser had to pit with a flat tire and lost a lot of time in the process. The Sauber-Mercedes dropped back during the night. The Jaguar XJRs also retired one after the other. The Joest-Porsche 962 of Stuck and Wollek led during the night. However, a leak in the water hose then forced the Porsche into the pits. Now the Jaguar XJR-9 of Gilbert-Scott/Jan Lammers/Patrick Tambay took the lead until the morning hours, when it dropped back due to a gearbox failure. The Sauber-Mercedes were lurking in the wings and now took the lead, finishing the race with a comfortable lead of several laps. Jochen Mass, Manuel Reu-ter and Stanley Dickens gave Mercedes-Benz a brilliant return of the Silver Arrows to the top of motorsport. This put an end to the staid image of Mercedes and fulfilled a long-cherished dream for Peter Sauber: To be able to leave Le Mans with the winning car.
The winning streak continues for Sauber-Mercedes
Already during the 1989 season, Sauber and Mercedes began developing a successor to the C9. Japanese manufacturers in particular were now pushing into the sports car world championship with vehicles of the latest design. The new Sauber-Mercedes was designated the C11 and was again developed by Leo Ress. The chassis was made of carbon fiber and manufactured in Great Britain by David Price Composites. The engine was only slightly revised. The new Bosch Motronic 1.8 optimized the control of ignition and injection, which again improved performance and consumption. The susceptible Hewland gearbox was now replaced by Mercedes' own development. Another change that paid off was the switch from Michelin to Goodyear, as the Goodyear tires better suited the C11's characteristics and they could also benefit from years of Formula 1 experience.
The winning streak from the previous year was repeated in 1990. The only race not won by a Sauber-Mercedes was the race in Silverstone. However, this only happened because the C11 driven by Mass/Schumacher was disqualified for allegedly receiving outside assistance, and the second C11 driven by Jean-Louis Schlesser retired due to a broken camshaft. The drivers' championship was won this year by Jean-Louis Schlesser and Mauro Baldi, who were tied on points.
Juniors at Sauber-Mercedes
There were also major personnel changes in the Sauber-Mercedes team. Jochen Neerpasch had set up a junior team, as he had once done at BMW. The aim was to prepare the three best German Formula 3 drivers for Formula 1 by entering them in Group C races. Karl Wendliger, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Michael Schumacher were appointed to the team. During test drives in Paul Ricard, the three 20-year-old racing drivers were gradually introduced to the powerful C9 and later the C11. The juniors' tasks also included finding their feet in a professional team. Jochen Mass, with his many years of experience as a sports car driver, acted as mentor to the three. In the races of the 1990 season, Mass drove alternately with Karl Wendlinger, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Michael Schumacher. All three juniors had their strengths and weaknesses. Karl Wendlinger won the race at Spa-Franchorchamps with Jochen Mass, Michael Schumacher the season finale in Mexico. It is well known that the Mercedes junior program paved the way to Formula 1 for all of them. The outstanding importance of this program is not least due to the fact that it paved the way for Michael Schumacher to his seven Formula 1 world championship titles.
Problem child for Sauber-Mercedes: The C291
The new FIA regulations mandated 3.5-liter naturally aspirated engines starting in 1991. The older Group C cars were still allowed to participate for this season, also to fill up the grids. The consumption limit was also dropped in the regulations. The mandated engines were similar in their requirements to those in Formula 1. For the Mercedes board, remaining in Group C was attractive because they could now demonstrate their ability to develop a purebred racing engine. The choice fell on a flat-twelve engine, which enabled particularly high revs. At the end of the season, approximately 640 hp were available.
Test runs with the new engine revealed many problems, as did the test drives in Paul Ricard and on other racetracks. A key problem was the supply of sufficient lubricant to the engine. Due to the long list of problems, Peter Sauber decided to take a C11 to the season opener in Suzuka. This was actually faster than the new C291 in which Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger started the race. The Sauber-Mercedes C291 only got into its stride towards the middle of the race after the oil circuit had been completely overhauled. At Silverstone, Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger finished second behind the Jaguar XJR-14 of Teo Fabi and Derek Warwick. It was a first ray of hope. Although the C291 had been developed with the aim of being able to win at Le Mans, the team preferred to rely on the proven C11 from the previous year. Mercedes sent three cars into the race. Jean-Louis Schlesser, Jochen Mass and Alain Ferté started the race in the C11 with starting number 1. Juniors Fritz Kreuzpointner/Karl Wendlinger/Michael Schumacher started the race in the number 31 car. The third C11 with starting number 32 was driven by Kurt Thiim/Jonathan Palmer/Stanley Di-ckens. At times, all three Sauber-Mercedes C11s were in the lead, but retired or fell back due to technical defects. The C11 with the juniors was the only Mercedes to finish the race in fifth place.
The rest of the 1991 season was disheartening. At the Nürburgring, Magny-Cours, and Mexico City, no C291 finished the race. The reasons were technical defects of various kinds, which repeatedly revealed how immature the technology still was. Further development continued at full speed during the 1991 season. The season nevertheless found a conciliatory end at Autopolis in Japan. Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger won the season finale ahead of the two favored Jaguar XJR-14s, not by luck, as would later be said, but because the C21 finally found its stride after countless improvements. It now showed the direction in which things could have gone. Intensive work was already underway in Hinwil on the Sauber-Mercedes C292, with which they had intended to contest the 1992 season.
However, the Mercedes board decided not to continue their involvement in the sports car world championship and to focus on Formula 1 and IndyCar in the future. In 1998, Mika Häkkinen won the Formula 1 World Championship in the silver McLaren-Mercedes. Peter Sauber also decided to enter Formula 1 in 1993 and was provided with Mercedes engines in 1993 and 1994.
Michael Schumacher had impressed the motorsport world at his debut in Spa-Francorchamps and secured a multi-year contract with Benetton by the end of the season. Karl Wendlinger had also contested his first two Formula 1 races in 1991 for Leyton House March. Heinz-Harald Frentzen followed his former colleagues from the junior team into Formula 1 and again started for Peter Sauber in 1994.