HINWIL, Switzerland — Peter Sauber says he has reached a deal with Ferrari to supply engines and expects confirmation of his team's entry in the 2010 Formula 1 season.
Sauber, 66, reacquired full ownership of the team from BMW on Friday. BMW, which had previously supplied engines to the Williams team, switched to Sauber and acquired 80 percent ownership of the team after the 2005 season, but announced in July that it would withdraw from the sport at the end of 2009.
That left the team apparently on the sidelines, as the withdrawal was announced prior to execution of a new edition of F1's governing document, the Concorde Agreement. A deal to sell the team of Qadback Investment, a Swiss company, was never completed.
Now, Sauber is expecting confirmation from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), F1's sanctioning body, as the 13th team on the 2010 entry list and is moving ahead with plans for 2010.
However, sources also report that the 13th and final grid position belongs to Toyota, which signed the new Concorde Agreement committing it to participate through 2012, even though Toyota subsequently announced it was shutting down its team.
The FIA's World Motor Sport Council is expected to decide on the matter when it meets this month.
Robert Kubica, who drove for BMW Sauber, has signed with Renault for 2010. The Swiss newspaper Blick reported that Sauber is considering a number of drivers, including Nick Heidfeld and Christian Klien, driver and test driver, respectively, last year. Others include Jarno Trulli, Heikki Kovalainen and Kamui Kobayashi, all with F1 experience, and Russian GP2 driver Vitaly Petrov.
Mario Theissen announced today that he would remain as director of BMW Motorsports rather than resuming his role as team principal.
"I am very relieved that we have found this solution," Sauber said in a joint press release from the team and BMW's Munich headquarters on Friday. "It means we can keep the Hinwil location and the majority of workplaces.... I am convinced that the new team has a very good future in Formula 1, whose current transformation with new framework conditions will benefit the private teams."
Inside Line says: Toyota will face a $150 million fine if it defaults on its Concorde Agreement signature, but Sauber is solidly optimistic that his team will remain in F1. Could the FIA add a 14th team? — David Green, Correspondent
Add A Comment »