Swiss team Sauber joins F1’s elite teams’ club

Switzerland, the country that banned motor racing for 60 years, will on Sunday witness its only Formula One team joining an elite club of the sport’s grandee outfits.

The modest Swiss Sauber team led by Frederic Vasseur will start its landmark 500th race at the Turkish Grand Prix – a feat achieved by only three other teams, led by Ferrari.

The Hinwil-based team, founded by Peter Sauber as a sportscar outfit, entered F1 in 1993 and has raced since under various identities including BMW Sauber and, more recently, Alfa Romeo.

Switzerland banned motor racing after the 1955 Le Mans 24-Hours tragedy when 83 spectators were killed after a car crashed into the crowd.