Giedo Van Der Garde Wins Case!

Melbourne Grand Prix 2015: Dutch Formula One driver Giedo van der Garde can race for Sauber Motorsports, court rules - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

But will he be allowed to race in Australia this weekend? Wow!

 

Silly.

 

Don't see how it's silly if he had a contract. But if he races one of the other two guys could sue since they are contracted too.

 

Maybe it would make more sense for Sauber to simply buy out his contract?

 

Funny story is my 10 year old nephew had an ancestry project at school a couple of years ago and found out that we are related to Van der Garde. I first started watching Formula 1 about the same time and saw his name on the screen when he was driving for Caterham. I saw how it was spelled and told my girlfriend that I was probably related to him a couple hundred relatives ago. Two days later I received the email from my sister in law showing the family tree and we are only about 20 relatives apart. When my side of the family came to the U.S. they dropped the "r" in the name and we became the Vande Garde's. Maybe I missed my calling and should be racing for a living!

 

They could sue, but Van der Garde's contract was in place first. Looks like Sauber's mistake, and they're gonna end up paying one way or the other.

 

They can't. Both their contracts have clauses in it that state they can be replaced by anyone at anytime. Can't say this result is surprising...simply breach of contract of course he deserved to win. But it will be an awkward and interesting work environment now lol...

Let's hope they get rid of erricson

 

One thing I forgot to bring up was Sauber's argument that Giedo driving a car tailored for two other drivers is dangerous, bulls!t. Plenty of reserve/back up drivers have taken over and driven cars tailored for other drivers. Case in point, Magnussen just recently drove the McLaren which was tailored to Alonso/Button, and will be driving this weekend in Australia.

 

Why would he want to drive for a team that doesn't want him? I would have settled for an put of court cash payment.

 

That might be the overall case for him or he is more desiring a life in F1 and a drive provides that. Either way he won and Sauber look dis-organized.

 

These guys live and breathe racing. It's all they've done in their lives. Heck, Button took a pay cut to keep racing, when Honda sold the team to Brawn, and I believe he took another one again with McLaren to stay in F1.

 

Probably at Sauber they chose to get Nasr´s and Ericsson´s money to survive one day more and deal with Van Der Garde later.

 

The team appealed the decision. They are trying to play for time. At 4pm on Thursday the deadline for naming the drivers comes down. So if they can put the court's appeal decision off by then, they are home free as van de Garde's ruling only applies to Melbourne.

Sad state of affairs all around.

Imagine if he wins the case: How awkward this will be putting him into the seat.

 

From a practical stand point, if VG's position is enforced and he must be named as the driver, Sauber may scratch one car because it cannot be made safe for him to drive.

 

Yielding further breach?? This will be fun!

Via BBC - Van der Garde originally brought the case after he was dismissed from his role as a test driver, saying he had proof he had been offered a race seat.

He took his case to a Swiss arbitration tribunal which ordered Sauber to keep him on the team - a decision which the Victoria court has now enforced.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/31828900

 

IMO what I think he's trying to gain here is money, and I don't really blame him. He paid heavily for his test driving role last year, and I don't think he got that much time in the car...

Then they give him a contract but suddenly sign another (rubbish) driver (in Erricsons case). I first thought it was silly to go public like this, but having proven right it strengthens his position. He's not a full on retard and neither is his main backer, I think they must've realized that the chance to jump back into F1 after having been ''dropped'' by Sauber was quite small, use the money they can get from them + damages and he'll be able to race in other series such as Le Mans.

 

I hate to say it but I agree.

This mess is Saubers fault.

 

Yep!

They'll either be forced to pay him off or give him the seat.

Sauber is evidently trying to overbook their seats like they're a cheap airline.

 

Now that is funny! Either way, I cannot imagine something like this happening when Peter Sauber ran the team.

 

Not sure I want to give him that pass. He is still in it to some degree

 

Utterly stupid management at Sauber

 

They used to say Kaltenborn should take Bernie's place. Riiiight!

 

Not ready for prime time

 

There is a little chance she has been a genius and Sauber will end up with more money this way, even after the eventual refund to Van der Garde. But for sure VdG might have brought them twice the point Eriksoon will get.

Or now they might even start an auction among the three drivers for the two musical chairs.

 

Interestingly, the judge has ruled that Sauber have to give Van Der Garde the drive at the Australian GP and for the 2015 season.

What it doesn't seem to specify is that Sauber have to make the car competitive for him.

There's nothing to stop Sauber making a dog-slow car for him with no proper set-up, and concentrating all of their efforts on their other driver whom they really want driving for them.

Also, come pitstop time, what's to stop the team from just leaving him sitting in the pitbox because their mechanics are too busy eating lunch and reading the papers to service his car? - "You need tyres? - change them yourself!"

TBH, I wouldn't want to be a driver who has forced his way into a team that doesn't really want Me there because I know they wouldn't be bending over backwards for My benefit - You'd be getting the s:censored:t end of the stick at every chance possible!

It would be far too easy for Sauber to sabotage his entire racing career by making him look like a dog slow driver!