C-Ing Is Believing the Sauber-Mercedes C9 Sauber-Mercedes C9
C-ing is Believing The Sauber-Mercedes C9 Sauber-Mercedes C9 he importance of the Sauber C9 in the The engine was said to have been developed motorsport history of Mercedes cannot by renowned Swiss tuner Heini Mader, but Tbe underestimated. It was the first car of long-time Sauber team manager Max Welti the modern era to run in the marque’s famous describes this as a “smokescreen” to hide silver livery, it was the first Merc to win a world Mercedes’ true ambitions. The company wanted championship title for more than 30 years, to be in control of an engine that bore its and it was a Le Mans 24 Hours winner to boot. badges and had one eye on bigger things. Welti Every successful Mercedes racing programme suspects that no more than one or two engines since owes a debt of gratitude to the successes ever went to Mader’s workshops. of the C9 Group C car. The Mercedes-engined Sauber C8 didn’t The Swiss Sauber team had laid the actually race in 1985. An accident on what foundations of Mercedes’ factory return to should have been car’s debut at Le Mans led to motorsport in 1988, a twin-pronged attack on the team’s withdrawal from the event. The C8 the World Sports-Prototype Championship and would not reappear that year. the DTM touring car series in Germany. Its Sauber regrouped for a partial world Group C cars, first the C8 and then the C9, had championship campaign with a new car, the been powered by the German manufacturer’s C9, in 1987.
[Show full text]