FORUMula1.com

[sagi58]

Looking back at some predictions:

Sauber - Gutierrez vs Sutil



Published on Mar 10, 2014

Peter Windsor and Rob Wilson break sown the Sauber pairing of Esteban Gutiérrez and Adrian Sutil.

[Frontrunner]

Read somewhere that Gutierrez is hoping to sort out talks with Sauber for a seat next year. Only thing working in his favour is Telmex, other than that I don't think he really belongs in F1. Me personally I would put Van der Garde in there next year, he did show some potential when he was at Caterham last year, and also if I had it my way I would put Simona De Silvestro in also, what the hell, give her a run.

[What's Burning?]

The Hulk looks like a genius for moving out. I think I'd go the replace both drivers route as well. But with the Telmex sponsoring and Mejico on the calendar, it's looking like a safe seat for him.

[Frontrunner]

Me thinks it will be Gutierrez and Van der Garde next year, Sutil will probably go to the F1 driver scrap heap

[Jabberwocky]

On Facebook they are saying they have a big announcement tomorrow

Sent using NCC-1701

[sagi58]

Sauber admits Ferrari engine not only cause of poor 2014 F1 season

Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted that her Sauber squad cannot only blame Ferrari engines for its poor 2014 Formula 1 season.

Sauber finished 10th in the constructors' championship and failed to score a point for the first time in 22 seasons in F1.

While the weakness of the Ferrari power unit was the most significant factor in this, the Swiss squad's team principal accepts that the chassis was also disappointing.

"After the season we had, we have to be very blunt and simple about this; we never expected it would end up like this," Kaltenborn told AUTOSPORT.

"The overall package was just not good enough and we have to learn from this and go ahead.

"There are many factors that have led to this.

"On the chassis side, we have made better cars.

"The car is not as bad as it looks but we have definitely done a better job before and that is where we need to get back again.

"We have the tools for it, we need the funding for it and we are working on that.

"If you make mistakes on top of [the engine] it doesn't end up well."

Kaltenborn has no doubt that Ferrari will improve its engine in 2015 and that, as the rules mature, the competitive spread through the field will tighten.

But while Ferrari's power unit is expected to be closer to Mercedes next year, she accepts that the German manufacturer is still likely to dominate.

"Definitely, the power train has dominated this season and I am very confident that our engine supplier is going to make a step," she said.

"They also cannot do miracles; we still probably will see the dominance of one engine supplier, but I have confidence that the gap will be smaller."

[Hammer278]

On Facebook they are saying they have a big announcement tomorrow

Sent using NCC-1701

Tomorrow:

F*** YA'LL, WE QUIT

[LewEngBridewell]

Tomorrow:

F*** YA'LL, WE QUIT

I hope not!!

[sagi58]

Dumped F1 driver takes action against Sauber: reports

Dumped Dutch driver Giedo van der Garde has taken legal action ahead of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix to press his claim to a drive with Sauber, Australian media reported on Thursday.

Van der Garde was test driver for the Swiss team last season and is claiming Sauber reneged on a deal to give him a race seat in 2015.

Newspapers said the 29-year-old driver had sought an urgent hearing on Monday at the Victorian Supreme Court to claim unfair dismissal.

First practice for the season-opener in Melbourne starts on Friday, March 13.

Sauber have signed Sweden's Marcus Ericsson and Brazilian Felipe Nasr as their race drivers, with Italian Raffaele Marciello as reserve.

Sauber were not immediately available for comment.

[sagi58]

Sauber had 'good reason' to sack van der Garde

Sauber has found itself in legal trouble just one week before first practice in Melbourne. It emerged on Thursday that, with a valid contract for 2015, Giedo van der Garde is suing the Swiss team in Melbourne and demanding he race this year.

The Dutchman's case is based on a recent ruling in Switzerland, where it was found that van der Garde should indeed be given one of the places that ultimately were filled for 2015 by Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson. "We are in an ongoing process with Giedo van der Garde," Sauber confirmed to the Swiss newspaper Blick. "We have terminated his contract, but we had good reason. We made our decision in the interest of the team and its 330 employees."

Indeed, Sauber grappled with financial problems throughout 2014 and this year's car is now in the prominent colours of Brazilian Nasr's backer Banco do Brasil. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport reports that another driver originally promised a 2015 seat - Adrian Sutil - is also suing Sauber. Correspondent Tobias Gruner, however, said that action is taking place only in Switzerland, and Sutil is seeking "compensation rather than a forced reinstatement" from the Hinwil based team.

[myownalias]

If Sutil gets compensation and van der Garde gets the drive, I can see Sauber folding before mid-season, they are already struggling financially, another financial blow such as compensation for Sutil or possibly losing sponsorship money should one of the drivers be replaced by van der Garde through legal action could put the final nail in the coffin for Sauber.

[darwin dali]

If Sutil gets compensation and van der Garde gets the drive, I can see Sauber folding before mid-season, they are already struggling financially, another financial blow such as compensation for Sutil or possibly losing sponsorship money should one of the drivers be replaced by van der Garde through legal action could put the final nail in the coffin for Sauber.

Sure hope not as I like that little team...

[myownalias]

If Sutil gets compensation and van der Garde gets the drive, I can see Sauber folding before mid-season, they are already struggling financially, another financial blow such as compensation for Sutil or possibly losing sponsorship money should one of the drivers be replaced by van der Garde through legal action could put the final nail in the coffin for Sauber.

Sure hope not as I like that little team...

I think most people tend to like the small independents, first for me will always be Williams, but Sauber and Marussia/Manor are equal second, kinda gone off Force India recently!

[darwin dali]

If Sutil gets compensation and van der Garde gets the drive, I can see Sauber folding before mid-season, they are already struggling financially, another financial blow such as compensation for Sutil or possibly losing sponsorship money should one of the drivers be replaced by van der Garde through legal action could put the final nail in the coffin for Sauber.

Sure hope not as I like that little team...

I think most people tend to like the small independents, first for me will always be Williams, but Sauber and Marussia/Manor are equal second, kinda gone off Force India recently!

I grew up 5 miles from their head quarters in Hinwil...

[sagi58]

Feature: Why 2015 is a big year for...

In the fast-paced world of Formula 1, each race, and every season, counts. Ahead of this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, GPUpdate.net looks at why 2015 is important for those competing.

Sauber

Sauber has slipped into the role of Formula 1 backmarker, just two years after the team regularly competed for podiums. It has been a startling decline, so its main aim for 2015 will be to break back into the points and prove that 2014 was just a horrible combination of everything going wrong, rather than the start of a terminal malaise. Hopes will be that Ferrari's power unit improvements will help the team make up some ground, as it is foolish to expect monumental gains from the chassis. But as with Toro Rosso, much of Sauber's progress may depend on its drivers, who both have much to prove.

Marcus Ericsson appeared ill-suited to Formula 1 for much of the campaign, but once Caterham addressed the issues plaguing his driving style, he made progress – if he can slot into Sauber and compete in the midfield then he'll begin to shake off his pay driver tag. For Felipe Nasr, he has to prove that he can be the driver he was in nascent junior formula, rather than the one who often appeared to be lacking those final crucial few tenths in GP2 and prone to the odd error. His incident with Williams' Susie Wolff in testing did little to allay such fears.

the other teams on the grid