Sauber 'working on solution' for team's future, but no deadline set
Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn says there is no deadline for the deal that is expected to guarantee the Swiss team’s future.
Kaltenborn confirmed some weeks ago that a “solution” to the team’s financial squeeze was in hand, but there has been no further news.
“We are working on our solution, that’s all I can tell you,” said Kaltenborn. “I’m not going to go down the road and tell you where we are or not. It’s simply also not professional to do that. In any normal deal in any business you get things done, and then you talk. People might be speculating out there, but let them.
“The most important thing is we have a solution, and we just have to implement it. There’s no point in putting timelines and what we need or what we don’t need or whatever. I understand people want to know, but equally they have to understand that in any normal deal things go the way they are planned between the parties, and you don’t comment on every step.”
Kaltenborn said that the team still hopes to bring updates to its 2016 car, if it has the resources to do so.
“Our plan is clearly that we do still have a few things to come this year, which we want to implement. But, like everyone else, we have put our focus in next year’s car, and when you want to get things back to normality, it takes its time. You can’t be quicker than what time is required. It will go its normal way.”
Asked what would happen if the promised solution fell though, she said: “Again I’m not saying anything on that. I know other teams have maybe done it differently not too long ago, when people used to know when a board meeting was taking place. We’re not going to do that. I am sure that everybody wants that we are around for a long time, and that’s what matters.”
Kaltenborn cited the BMW takeover of Sauber as a demonstration of a smooth transition.
“Our example in 2005 with BMW is a much better way to do these things, and I think we proved it then – when they came in, when we announced the deal, what we did on the car. There are many ways to do it, and we have a different way.”
