Three into two just won’t go
With the start of the 2015 Formula 1 season now just hours away, Sauber are facing a tricky dilemma of fitting three race drivers into only two seats. The Grid takes a look at the whole story...
We start at the end of the 2014 season, when Giedo van der Garde (pictured) was released from his role as test driver with the Swiss-based Sauber F1 team. This must have been a surprise to the Dutchman, 29, as he was in possession of a contract that promised him a full-time drive for the 2015 season.
It’s no secret that Sauber were suffering from financial difficulties towards the end of last season, and the large budget that Van der Garde provides would no doubt have enticed the team into offering the driver a contract.
However, two further suitors came knocking in the form of Swede Marcus Ericsson and Brazilian Felipe Nasr, whose combined budget is believed to total around 40m euros - more than Van der Garde has to offer and clearly enough to turn Sauber’s head. The team swiftly cancelled Van der Garde’s contract.
In the weeks that followed, Van der Garde took Sauber to an arbitration panel in Switzerland, where the verdict was given that the team were “to refrain from taking action” that would prevent Van der Garde from taking up his seat. On arrival in Melbourne this week for the first race of the season, the Supreme Court in Victoria upheld the decision.
Sauber proceeded to appeal the judgment, with team principal Monisha Kaltenborn claiming reasons of safety should prevent Van der Garde from racing at such short notice in a car designed for other drivers. However, the appeal failed on Thursday, with the judges seeing no problems with the original verdict.
So what happens now? Van der Garde’s lawyers have filed an application to ensure that Sauber comply with the court order to allow him to race, with the threat that failure to comply could see the team’s assets seized. If Sauber choose to follow the court ruling, it seems that Ericsson will be the driver forced to make way for the Dutchman.
A possible escape route for the team is that Van der Garde needs a valid super-licence before competing, after last season’s expired. These can take up to a fortnight to process and will require Sauber’s cooperation, but despite this, Van der Garde has commented that he is confident his licence can be fast-tracked.
A number of other drivers have been vocal in their support for Van der Garde’s actions, with both Williams driver Felipe Massa and Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, both of whom have previously driven for Sauber, voicing their disappointment at the lack of respect Van der Garde has received from the team.
The good news is that we do not have to wait long to see how Sauber will handle the situation: will they drop one of their drivers, or will they risk contempt of court? Whatever happens, let’s hope it doesn’t overshadow this weekend’s on-track action.