Sauber admits team will struggle to survive without BMW
July 29th, 2009 - 8:32 pm ICT by IANSHinwil (Switzerland), July 29 (DPA) Team founder Peter Sauber admitted Wednesday that the BMW-Sauber team will struggle to maintain a presence in Formula One following BMW’s decision to withdraw from the sport.
“BMW’s announcement that it was pulling out of Formula One at the end of the season was a complete surprise for me. I respect and accept the decision but am still finding it hard to digest,” said Sauber, who formed Sauber in 1993 but is now a minority shareholder after the German carmaker took control in June 2005.
Sauber hopes to find a solution that enables Sauber to continue as a team with its headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland but admits he is facing an uphill task, even with his 20-per-cent stake.
“The position we are in now makes it very difficult,” admitted the 65-year-old.
The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) has announced it will stand behind any attempt to save Sauber with general secretary Simone Perillo announcing Wednesday that FOTA was ready to give “every necessary support” to the Swiss-based team.
BMW took over the team in 2005 and debuted in the Formula One a year later. In 63 races to date, BMW-Sauber so far has celebrated only one victory, by Polish driver Robert Kubica in Montreal, Canada, in June 2008.
- BMW to pull out of F1 at season's end (Roundup, changing dateline) - Jul 29, 2009
- BMW to pull out of F1 at end of season (Lead) - Jul 29, 2009
- BMW agrees to sell F1 team to Sauber - Nov 27, 2009
- Renault to scale down to minority shareholder in F1 team - Dec 11, 2009
- FIA expresses regret about decision on new series - Jun 19, 2009
- Heidfeld stays upbeat on F1 future - Aug 19, 2009
- Kobayashi given driver's seat at Sauber - Dec 17, 2009
- German teams pledge to stay in Formula One - Dec 06, 2008
- FIA blames economic crisis for BMW's F1 pull-out - Jul 29, 2009
- Ferrari, Red Bull exit F1 Teams Association - Dec 03, 2011
- Nelson Piquet set to take over at BMW-Sauber - Aug 03, 2009
- 'Baby Schumi' keeps alive German legacy in Formula One - Oct 30, 2011
- Mosley to consider his future if FOTA ends attacks - Jun 23, 2009
- Formula 1 crisis: Eight teams confirm forming a breakaway series - Jun 19, 2009
- Button wins classy Australian GP as Vettel is stopped again - Mar 28, 2010
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