Sutil surprised by the appointments of Ericsson and Nasr at Sauber in 2015
Adrian Sutil, who supposedly has a contract with Sauber for 2015, was therefore surprised by the announcements of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr as confirmed drivers for the 2015 season.
The Sauber F1 team has confirmed Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr for the 2015 Formula 1 season, thus deciding not to retain its current two drivers, Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil. The Mexican was the first to react to the news, announcing he has several options for 2015.
On Adrian Sutil’s side, things are different. The German driver was among the drivers present at the FIA press conference in Interlagos and he appeared surprised by the decision of the Swiss team.
Asked about what his future would be, he remained evasive: “I don’t know, so I’m going to see what’s possible, what I want and… yes, there are several things to think about and I can’t say more at the moment.”
Ousted in favor of two drivers who can bring a seemingly larger budget than his own, Sutil knows that’s how things work for teams in trouble: « I’m not frustrated, but that’s how F1 has been for several years. It’s a slightly different business. That’s all I can say for now. I’m looking forward to racing and that’s it. »
While Sutil seemed to have committed to two seasons with Sauber, he should therefore leave after only one year and is now waiting for explanations from the Hinwil team: « There are certain things that need to be discussed. They have confirmed two drivers but that doesn’t mean that the drivers can drive and it doesn’t mean that the team will compete. So there isn’t really any change compared to last weekend. It’s just an announcement and now of course, my situation, I think I will have discussions to sort things out. »
But on the Sauber F1 side, they are also surprised by the statements made by the German driver, as Monisha Kaltenborn told journalists quoted by PitPass: « We have announced our two drivers. I am not aware that more than two cars will be used next year. We have announced our two drivers, and that is how things will be. If there are other related matters, they are internal issues that we will discuss internally. »
If Sutil indeed leaves the Sauber team, he is of interest to other teams, notably the Haas team, which will enter F1 in 2016, as Günther Steiner – one of the executives of the American team – told *Speed Week*: “We are a new team and we do not want to take big risks. If there is a fantastic American driver, then yes. But if it’s a beginner without experience… we want an experienced driver. I have no names but if Sauber changes its drivers then Adrian Sutil could be on the market, just like the Caterham and Marussia drivers.”
Apart from Adrian Sutil, Giedo van der Garde, who was the favorite to support Marcus Ericsson in 2015, expressed his surprise to GPUpdate about the announcement of Felipe Nasr’s appointment without wishing to say more. He prefers to focus on the Brazilian weekend and will think about his future afterward.
