Image courtesy of Sauber F1
Giedo van der Garde has commenced legal action against the Sauber Formula 1 team, demanding to be on the starting grid for the Australian Grand Prix after losing out to Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr.
The Dutchman spent 2014 as the reserve driver for the Swiss team, and is reported to have had a race contract signed for 2015.
But after the team’s decision to instead put Ericsson and Nasr into the two race seats, van der Garde believes he was unfairly dismissed and is now hoping to win the seat back at the Victorian Supreme Court.
He also lost his role as the reserve driver, after being replaced by Raffaele Marciello.
“In early November 2014, Mr van de Garde was informed by Sauber’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Monisha Kaltenborn, that Sauber’s two seats had been given to other drivers and that, as a consequence, Mr van der Garde would not have a place as a driver in the team in 2015,” said official documents from van der Garde himself.
“The Respondent was ordered to refrain from taking any action the effect of which would be to deprive Mr van der Garde of his entitlement to participate in the 2015 Formula One Season as one of Sauber’s two nominated race drivers.”
Reports from Australian media state that the Dutch driver is looking to have the hearing on Monday, only four days before practice starts for the Australian Grand Prix.
