Sauber and Giedo van der Garde reach an agreement

While the Australian justice system had ruled in his favor at the beginning of the week, discussions between the two parties dragged on. They became so heated that the Dutchman went as far as to request the incarceration of Monisha Kaltenborn, the team principal, and the seizure of the cars of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr.

This did not stop Sauber from running its two designated drivers during the two practice sessions this Friday morning. In the meantime, Giedo van der Garde was nonetheless present in the paddock. He even placed his belongings in the Swiss team’s hospitality before waiting in the garage to be told which car to get into! He even went as far as to put on a team race suit and get into the car intended for Marcus Ericsson… without actually taking the wheel on track.

Finally, the last hearing before the judge in Melbourne was swift since the pilot’s lawyers announced that an agreement had been reached. However, they did not fail to make a statement saying that this agreement “could go in several directions. That’s what makes it interesting.”

If the details of this agreement have not been revealed to the general public, it might suggest that Giedo van der Garde could find himself behind the wheel at some point in the coming season. By putting an end to the controversy for this opening weekend, the driver’s entourage leaves an opportunity and time for Sauber to find the least bad solution possible for all parties involved.

But given the depleted finances of the Swiss team, it seems unlikely that they will be ready to reimburse the eight million euros paid by the driver to be the third driver last year with the guarantee of being a regular driver in 2015.

This case, although it has reached a conclusion for the Australian Grand Prix, is likely to resurface in the coming weeks. Indeed, the driver has issued a statement clearly indicating that he is not giving up for the rest of the season: « Out of respect for the interests of motorsports and F1 in particular, I have decided to forego my legal rights to race this weekend for the Melbourne Grand Prix. As a passionate racing driver, this decision was very difficult for me. However, I wish to respect the interests of the FIA, Sauber Motorsport, as well as Nasr and Ericsson. My management will continue to discuss with Sauber at the beginning of next week to find a mutually acceptable agreement. I am confident that such a solution will be found and I will inform the media when it is done. »

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr