Sauber confident of 2010 grid slot
30/11/2009  Despite the fact that his team has yet to have its grid slot approved for 2010, Peter Sauber remains confident that next season will witness a new chapter in his team's history.
On Friday, BMW agreed to sell back the team to Sauber, who retained a 20 percent stake in the team following its sale to the German manufacturer in 2005. While the team has yet to officially secure an entry for 2010 preparations are well underway, with the Ferrari powered car due to begin testing in February. In an interview with the official F1 website, when asked how confident he is that his team will secure a grid slot the Swiss veteran replied: "I am very confident that we will be given a final confirmation very shortly." Asked if he expects confirmation when the FIA meets in Monaco next month, he said: "I am pretty confident that there will be a decision before that date." In many ways, Sauber's entry depends on what happens elsewhere, either in terms of Toyota failing to find a buyer for its entry or one of the new teams failing to get its act together. "The FIA had already promised us the 14th slot on the grid," he reveals. "Under that circumstance it would have been our obligation to persuade the one team that had voted against us to accept our entry," he adds, referring to Williams. In terms of the new car, officially designated the Sauber C29, the Swiss claims that development has not been affected by BMW's decision to leave F1. "Our 2010 car is perfectly on schedule," he said. "The development and fabrication have been unaffected by the situation. Having been able to proceed with uninterrupted development was also possible thanks to excellent cooperation with Ferrari, who submitted all the relevant data very early. "Regarding the performance of the C29 we are all very confident," he added. "Two months before the first tests, we have already reached a very good basis for further development." Asked about the decision to return to Ferrari power, Sauber revealed: "That was one of the fixtures very early on. Shortly after BMW announced its withdrawal at the end of July I talked to Luca di Montezemolo and in a very short time - and without any bureaucracy - we received an okay. We will use a Ferrari engine and drive train." The sale of the team back to Sauber puts an end to speculation over the mysterious Qadbak investment group, with the Swiss making it clear that no-one else is involved in the purchase of the team. "I have obtained the financial resources for the acquisition by myself," he said. "No other backers are involved." Asked if he could shed any light on Qadbak, Sauber replied: "I have not made any comments on Qadbak in the last two months and I want to keep it that way." Looking to the immediate future, he said: "On my personal list there are two priorities, the slot on the grid and the Concorde Agreement. Then I will look for drivers. My guess is that a lot of time will be consumed by the restructuring from 380 employees to 250." Asked if the best driving talent had already been taken, Sauber, who has a well-deserved reputation as a talent spotter, replied: "No, definitely not. And we have two very attractive cockpits to offer." |
