Sauber delighted

By finishing fifth in the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix, Mika Salo, Sauber C19-Petronas (Ferrari), gave Sauber two more championship points, so important for the Swiss team.

Peter Sauber was ecstatic. “We know how difficult it is to score points these days in F1,” he said. “Scoring points in Monaco is an even greater pleasure. And I’d like to compliment Mika (Salo) on how he handled the pressure from the other Mika (Häkkinen) during the last 15 laps. He gave us a wonderful gift.”

Indeed, Mika Salo had a tough race . Mika Hakkinen had been slowed down by brake and gearbox problems, but at the end of the race, he tried everything to overtake his compatriot, but was unable to pass the Sauber. 

At a time when only the top six scored points, and when the top teams (Ferrari, McLaren, Benetton, Williams-BMW) were becoming more and more reliable, scoring two points in Monaco was indeed a feat for Mika Salo and Sauber.