Sauber's Formula One car for the 2001 season was the C20. Power was from a Petronas-branded '01A' 3-liter V10 engine supplied by Scuderia Ferrari. The vehicle was designed by Sergio Rinland.

In 2001, Sauber introduced a new type of front suspension mounting named the 'twin keel.' The new design was in response to the FIA's announcement in 2000 that stated a 50-percent increase in the minimum height of the front wing, measured from the ground to the bottom edge of the 'endplate.' This new rule was designed to reduce the front downforce to help keep speeds in control. Most teams responded by adding either a downward curve or a step to the wing's center section. Sauber's solution was different; the nose was normally high enough to require the addition of a keel to which the lower wishbones were mounted. This led Sauber to employ a pair of keels for the lower wishbones, with only a small brace between them to retain structural integrity.

The team's drivers for 2001 were Kick Heidfeld and rookie Kimi Raikkonen. Sauber would finish the season with 21 points and 4th place in the Constructors' World Championship standings. These were impressive results considering the number of DNFs (did not finish), with six mechanical failures and six driver-related incidents plus one DNS (Did not start).

by Dan Vaughan