Not only was the displacement limit reduced, Sauber was also faced with a change of engine suppliers as Mercedes-Benz decided to join forces with McLaren instead. In place of the V10 engine used during Sauber's first two Formula 1 seasons was a works Ford Zetec R V8. Built around a relatively narrow V, this three-litre unit was built exclusively for Sauber by Cosworth. It was mated to a transverse, six-speed gearbox that combined a bespoke casing with internals supplied by British specialist X-Trac.
The Sauber C14 chassis was an evolution of the earlier cars and as such once again defied the 'raised nose' convention. The narrow, drooping nose was replaced from the third round of the World Championship by a more conventional design with the wing suspended underneath the nose on twin supports. Unique to the C14 were raised cockpit sides that offered additional protection to the driver and would become mandatory from the 1996 season onwards. The suspension was through double wishbones and push-rod actuated dampers on all four corners.
Signed to drive the new Red Bull liveried Sauber were once again former Mercedes junior drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Karl Wendlinger. Not fully recovered from his massive accident at Monaco in 1994, Wendlinger was not able to match Frentzen and was replaced by Jean-Christophe Boullion from round five, the Monaco Grand Prix. Also joining the team from the race onwards was Malaysian oil company Petronas, which served as a supplier and backer.
Frentzen was a consistent point's finisher with a third at the Italian Grand Prix. This was Sauber's first ever Formula 1 podium finish. Bouillon only finished in the points twice in his eleven outings with the C14. Wendlinger was offered another go in the car for the final two rounds of the year but could do no better than tenth. Sauber ended the year seventh in the constructor's trophy with 18 points.
In and of itself, the Sauber C14 was not a particularly noteworthy Formula 1 car. It is however very significant as it brought two of the biggest sponsors of the modern era to the sport; Red Bull and Petronas. Page 1 of 1