Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has suggested that the Swiss team was forced to terminate Giedo van der Garde’s contract in order to save the team from collapse.
The Dutch driver is currently suing Sauber and a hearing is set for Monday ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, where Van der Garde hopes to force the team into running him.
Kaltenborn however is willing to fight the matter “to protect the company”.
“As this matter is currently before the courts it would be inappropriate for me to comment on specific details,” she is quoted as saying by Reuters.
“However, we will take all necessary steps to protect our company, this team and its interests.”
The team failed to score a single point last season and it’s financial struggles are well documented. Therefore the decision to take on two pay drivers in Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr was a necessity according to Kaltenborn, leaving no room for Van der Garde.
“We have terminated his contract, but we had good reason. We made our decision in the interest of the team and its 330 employees.
“Last year was a challenging time for us but going into the 2015 season we have been focused on putting steps in place to ensure that we are delivering the best outcomes for F1’s fans.”
