Alfa Romeo F1 have paid tribute to motorsport icon Peter Sauber on his 80th birthday.
Sauber embarked on his F1 journey by founding the Sauber Formula 1 Team in the 1990s, and from then his presence on the grid has been near-constant.
He has also been credited with having a team capable of discovering and nurturing young drivers who would go on to achieve a lot in the sport.
For example, Sauber provided a vital stepping stone for then-promising-racers like Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa , who under Sauber's guidance catapulted their careers to the next level.
Peter Sauber has enjoyed an illustrious career in Formula 1 Sauber became Alfa Romeo Racing in 2019
The man who started it all
In 2006, Sauber F1 became known as BMW Sauber after a partnership with the German car manufacturer. This collaboration lasted until 2009 when BMW withdrew from F1 and Sauber continued to race under their original name.
In 2019, Sauber entered into a partnership with Alfa Romeo, and the team was rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing, while still being operated by Sauber Motorsport .
That partnership is set to end next year , but the Italian team posted a heartfelt message on social media, wishing Sauber a happy birthday.
They wrote: "Tonight, at our Hinwil HQ, we celebrate a motorsport icon and the man who started it all.
"On behalf of the whole team, wishing our founder, Peter Sauber, a happy 80th birthday."
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