P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Legendary former F1 team owner Peter Sauber has revealed that he narrowly missed out on a chance to sign Lewis Hamilton at the beginning of his career.
Legendary former Formula 1 team owner Peter Sauber recently revealed that he almost signed Lewis Hamilton at the start of Hamilton’s F1 career. Sauber’s team, bearing his name, bid farewell to F1 in Abu Dhabi, and is transitioning to the works Audi team for 2026 and beyond. Known for giving young drivers their big break, Sauber previously boosted careers of talents like Kimi Raikkonen and Nick Heidfeld.
A surprising twist emerged as Sauber disclosed that Hamilton was on the verge of joining his team in 2007. However, McLaren, Hamilton’s team, only wanted to loan him for a year, while Sauber insisted on a two-year deal. Consequently, Hamilton pursued his F1 career with McLaren instead, achieving early success and eventually clinching seven world titles.
During Sauber’s BMW era in 2007, drivers Heidfeld and Kubica finished strongly in fifth and sixth place in the standings. Sauber’s revelation provides a fascinating glimpse into a potential alternate reality for Lewis Hamilton’s career path.
