Australian GP: Sauber F1 appeals decision in favor of Van der Garde
The Sauber team plans to use the last remaining legal options to prevent Giedo van der Garde from racing in Australia. The appeal filed by the team will be reviewed tomorrow in Melbourne.
After the verdict in favor of Giedo van der Garde, Sauber F1 has decided to appeal the decision made by the Supreme Court of the State of Victoria, which requires the team to have the driver race.
The Court’s decision must apply to the entire season and not just in Australia. If confirmed, Sauber would then have to prevent either of the two drivers planned for the coming year, Felipe Nasr or Marcus Ericsson, from racing.
The defense of the Swiss team remains focused on the issue of security, as explained by Monisha Kaltenborn, its director, as quoted by GrandPrixTimes.com: “We are disappointed by this decision and we now need to take time to understand what it means and the impact it will have on the start of the season. What we cannot do is compromise the safety of our team, or any driver on the track, by having a driver who is not prepared in a car that was designed for two other drivers.”
The appeal will be heard this Thursday with a verdict that is not expected before the afternoon (late at night or early in the morning in France), as the scheduled hearing could last more than four hours. If the appeal is rejected, Sauber will have to run Van der Garde and could then lose the financial support of one of its current drivers, with the risk of Nasr or Ericsson taking legal action against the team in turn.
