By Jamie Makin
October 20 2005

They say, "all good things must end." "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

While these cliches may be very appropriate words to try to console me with as Sauber bows out of F1, they don't do enough to alleviate the sorrow I feel at saying goodbye to the team I have followed closely for the past four years.

Of course I never set out to deliberately latch onto the team, nor did I even set out to become the rabid F1 fan that I have become. I had stumbled upon the 2001 Belgian Grand Prix while channel surfing during breakfast one day and was mesmerized by the sight of those sleek cars blazing around that amazing circuit . . . in the rain! Shortly after that I bought my first F1 video game and made a point to catch the remaining races of the season. It didn't take long to get hooked and the ensuing off season felt like agony.

The end of 2001 and much of 2002 were a time of learning for me. I'd heard of a few of the teams and a few drivers just from having friends who were casual F1 fans but there were no preconceived notions biasing me towards or against any of them at the time. Slowly but surely, the blue and green cars of the Sauber Petronas team began to catch my eye. As I learned of the team's small budget and workforce and the relatively inexperienced driving team of Nick Heidfeld and Kimi Räikkönen I knew I was watching something special. Here was a team with an 8th place budget who had just secured 4th place in the Constructors Championship.

During the off season I learned more about this fascinating Swiss team and the man who ran it, Peter Sauber. I learned of their successful campaign in sportscars. I even recalled vague memories of having seen those silver Sauber-Mercedes triumph over the TWR Jaguars. I got to know how ambitious the Sauber team was with plans for a state-of-the-art wind tunnel.

By the time the cars lined up on the grid in Melbourne 2002 there was little doubt in my mind that Sauber Petronas was "my team". Räikkönen had already moved to McLaren but I was willing to give newcomer Felipe Massa a chance. For Australia they qualified midfield, Heidfeld in 10th, Massa in 9th. Unfortunately this landed them right in the middle of the huge accident that ensued after Ralf Schumacher flew over top of Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari. Their race was over in the first turn and I was crushed.

The next race in Malaysia was a happier affair that saw both drivers in the points, Heidfeld in 5th and Massa in 6th. It set the tone for a fairly successful season. Despite my initial disappointment in Massa's frequent DNF's, the team held onto 4th in the standings. It was only towards the end of the year that Renault started to gain ground on them and they slipped to 5th. I could not be too disappointed though. I still saw a small team that was gearing up to take the fight to the big boys of the sport.

2003 was the season that my passion for F1 and for Sauber became the focus of day-to-day life. I followed every test session, every press release, every rumour that popped up on the forums. I hung on every word, trying to figure out what it would take to get the Sauber team to the top. And I believed in my heart that the team would one day triumph, despite the fact that they were struggling with the C22 and languishing in 9th in the standings due to Jordan's "lucky" Brazilian GP win.

Then came the US GP that year. It was the first year of the pitlane walkabout there and I had the chance to spend several hours in front of the Sauber garage watching the team at work. I was astounded to see that Sauber had considerably less support at the track than all of the other teams, but at the same time was fortunate to meet a number of fans who loved them as much as I did. At the same time I felt a sense of sadness that the team seemed to be falling further and further behind. I remember looking around the stands on race day morning thinking that maybe all the fans wearing Ferrari, McLaren and Williams shirts had the right idea in backing true contenders. Here I was, practically alone in rooting for this tiny little team that had never so much as lead a lap in F1. It was the one and only time my faith in the team started to waver.

Rain began to fall early in the race giving a distinct advantage to the Bridgestone teams. A few cars crashed out. A few others pitted and then a new page in Sauber history was written on lap 48 as Heinz-Harald Frentzen took the lead. It was only for one lap but to this day it is still the most memorable lap I've ever seen. The race ended on a high as well, with Frentzen taking what would be the team's last ever podium with third and Heidfeld not too far behind in 5th. It boosted the team back to midfield in the standings and more importantly removed any doubts I had about the team. Never again would my passion for them waver.

I drove home from Indy on a high and wanted to do "something" to bring together fans of the team. Within days I had discovered this site, Sauber Speak, desperately pleading for a new owner. I knew right away it was that "something" I was looking for and I took it on with great enthusiasm.

2004 saw the return of Felipe Massa and the arrival of Giancarlo Fisichella. I was not so happy with the lineup initially but as the season went on I grew rather fond of both drivers. Although Sauber could only hold onto 6th in the standings, it seemed they were once again gaining ground once the new wind tunnel came online. The highlight of the year for me though was not anything Sauber did on track. Instead it came from building a community of fans from around the world who shared my enthusiasm for the team. No longer was I just a spectator sitting in front of the tv cheering for the underdog. Now I was a member of a special community, which may be small in numbers, but certainly rivals Ferrari's infamous tifosi in terms of pure passion. And I was still certain that a Sauber driver would find his way to the top of the podium someday.

Unfortunately, changes in the team and the sport during the winter break would change the team's destiny. Red Bull departed as a major sponsor to purchase the Jaguar team and run it as their own. This left a large hole in the Sauber budget which ultimately would not be filled. Jacques Villeneuve replaced Giancarlo Fisichella and as the regulars on this site know, I never learned to support ol' Jacques the way I have all of the other team's drivers.

While this all seemed rather bleak to me, I figured that it too would pass eventually. But my hopes for the team were dealt a final blow with a disturbing new rumour that BMW was looking to purchase them. By midseason it was practically the worst-kept secret in F1. I made my annual pilgrimage to the Canadian and US GP's knowing it was most likely the last time I would see my beloved team in action.

The Canadian GP at least was a joyous affair. Sitting in the stands for three days in the suffocating heat wave was rewarded with Villeneuve's strong grid position of 8th for his home race and Massa's brilliant drive to finish 4th. The US GP needs little recap as we all remember the fiasco that saw the Michelin teams withdraw. For all the fuss and commotion over it, the only thing that really ate away at me was knowing I'd missed seeing Sauber race one last time. Three days later BMW made it official, they were purchasing the team in its entirety at the end of the season.

What little time was left to enjoy the Sauber team saw them slip further and further down the grid. The nature of the sport has changed enough in just the past few years that it has become almost impossible for a privateer team to survive and compete against the large auto manufacturers' teams. Peter Sauber saw the writing on the wall and made the selfless decision to sell his team in the interest of securing its long-term future as well as the future of his 300 loyal employees.

And that brings me full circle to why I fell in love with Peter and his team in the first place. Peter is a throwback to another era in racing. An era in which teams raced for the simple love of the sport instead of marketing purposes. Peter is a man who put the sport ahead of his own selfish desires and political agendas. While the other teams in the pitlane seemed wrapped up in endless controversies and squabbles, Peter got quietly on with the business of running his team, making the most of his limited resources.

It saddens me to think that Peter will leave the sport without having brought his team to victory. At least Massa finished 6th in China to give the team their final points. It's a final closure to an F1 career that began in Africa in 1993 with JJ Lehto finishing in the points in 5th. But as they also say, "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." Peter Sauber has played the game of F1 as a true gentleman and that is how people will remember him for generations to come.

Although the BMW team will be located in Hinwil and staffed by most of the same loyal Sauber employees, my heart cannot make the transition with them. To put it simply, BMW to me is the opposite of everything Sauber was and there's just no appeal. Instead, I'll be following Massa to Maranello next year to see how he stacks up against a certain 7-time World Champion. Massa may not have been my favourite driver during his rookie year in 2002, but he has since won my heart and I foresee a bright future for him.

I do realise that many of you will be staying on as BMW fans though. Or maybe you will be following Villeneuve wherever he goes. Regardless of which path you choose to follow, I wish all of you well and thank you for the time you have spent here. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and I'm sure there will be more good times ahead at the upcoming BMW site on SportNetwork.