Nico Hulkenberg and Jenson Button have jumped to Giedo van der Garde’s defense, both believing Sauber are in the wrong with how they’ve handled the situation.
The Swiss team was in court this week after Van der Garde claimed he holds a valid contract to race this season. The court sided with the Dutch driver and is forcing Sauber to run him this weekend.
Hulkenberg admits he’s not surprised by the situation, claiming the team are desperate for money and therefore willing to screw people over.
“[My] take is that they signed four drivers but there is only two cars. That is wrong,” he said, referring to Adrian Sutil who also believed he would be racing with the team this season.
It’s not the way to do business and to screw people
– Nico Hulkenberg
“Giedo wants what he was promised and what he was signed for and paid for and that is his right.
“I am not surprised because I know the people, I know how it has been there in the past,” he added. “They were desperate for some money to survive, which is maybe a general problem of F1.
“But still that is not a way to do business and to screw people like this.”
Meanwhile McLaren’s Button reckons the team were wrong to use safety as an excuse not to run the 29-year-old.
“The bit that surprises me most is the comments from Sauber saying it is a safety issue with him driving the car,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“For me it is a shame that they have gone in that direction, because safety is always a concern in motorsport and we shouldn’t be throwing it around lightly. Personally him driving the car is not a safety issue. I think it is unfair to use that against Giedo.”
