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What’s in your pocket right now? Maybe some keys, a smartphone, wallet, perhaps some gum… I daren’t dream what else.
If you really fish around in there, what are your chances of finding upwards of $15 million?
If you answered “pretty good” then 1) drinks are on you, and 2) you might just land yourself a seat with the Sauber Formula One Team for 2017.
Having received a cash injection over the summer, their future in the sport looks far more certain than it did six months ago. Still, a driver that is as fast at writing cheques as they are on the track would go a long way to lifting their spirits and helping them develop the car ahead of 2017’s regulation changes.
“It would help us in implementing our targets quicker and be a big help in the overall plan we have,” team principal Monisha Kaltenborn told Autosport. The plan she refers to presumably means spending less time in the Supreme Courts settling driver disputes and more time on the track.
“We’re confident our car will be better next year and we’re hoping to have more sponsors onboard, but in the current environment, it is still about finances.
“There is a close link to the more you have, the more you can test and that’s what you need to do.”
Although current driver Marcus Ericsson is rumored to have ties to Sauber’s recent investors, he revealed he was looking for a seat further up the grid with Williams or even a sideways step to Manor. Like so much of Formula One’s scuttlebutt however, it was likely just a ploy to gain leverage ahead of his own contract negotiations.
After all, if you’re bringing a pie to the party, wouldn’t you want the largest slice?
Nasr’s future looks less certain. Despite his ties to Williams as a former reserve driver, the team were far more keen on Formula 3 champion Lance Stroll. After lacklustre performances at Sauber this year in which neither driver gained the upper hand over the other, Ericsson’s strong financial ties leaves Nasr on the outers.
Having said that, they are just as likely to string him along lest their knight in shining armor choose another damsel.
So when will we know who is suiting up for Sauber? Kaltenborn is keeping mum, for now.
“I’ve got no timeline in mind. We have our options, we are assessing them and when we are ready, we will announce,” Kaltenborn said.
Her reluctance to commit to making an announcement could mean the team are looking at drivers who are playing the field, and after a few seasons of poor form Sauber are looking like the last men standing, desperate and dateless.
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