Automobilsport n°4 - Sauber Group C 1982 – 1991(English edition)

It is remarkable how much can fit into a single lifetime. How many events and adventures, how many moments of happiness, how many setbacks some people experience, but also how much motivation to affect what is happening around them. And it is remarkable how much these people then actually manage to achieve throughout their lives. This becomes especially obvious when talking to the heroes of motorsport from years past. One example for the various adversities which can befall a supposedly „streamlined“ career: Hans-Joachim „Strietzel“ Stuck entered the Monaco Grand Prix in 1979 with high hopes. But a brand new wheel of his ATS-Ford broke off of his car just in front of the moorage belonging to his team boss and wheel manufacturer Günter Schmid. The free flying wheel plopped into the sea just in front of Schmid's yacht. One example for a man finally finding success after a long dry spell: Jochen Mass´unforgettable triumph with Sauber at Le Mans in 1989 after countless years of trying. And a third example from this magazine: Peter Sauber, the man whose persistence and meticulousness in preparation made Mass´ late personal career climax possible.

The subject Sauber is the focus of this issue – a subject which we tried to highlight and recount from different perspectives, speaking with some illustrious partners and experts. A most impressive career rising from small beginnings and leading to the very top of professional motorsport.

It was Peter Sauber and his small tight-knit team who lured Mercedes Benz back into the sport after a 30 year break – without ever having made a written contract. „We worked together for almost ten years, and all that sealed solely by a handshake,“ confirms Sauber in our exclusive interview. The small team from Hinwill had to suffer a couple of setbacks in the years before that, of course. The same as any racing driver. But all of them have one thing in common: an overwhelming will to win. This means to try again and again to optimise things. To be able to start again from zero. And most importantly: to never give up.

Every one of us could use a small fraction of such determination in our everyday life. In this spirit we wish you, our readers, a successful start to the new season and many happy hours with our fourth issue of AUTOMOBILSPORT