The F1 driver transfer discussion/speculation archiveFormula 1
- Thread starter NotThePrez
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- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
It doesn't even take that much - any kind of legal action will make you toxic to other teams, much less the kind of legal action that threatens the future of a team. Unless the team did something completely wrong.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
It's like any job where character image is taken in regards, people will respond to that when it comes to higher paying opportunities. If the team feels slighted in their decision and the whole legal action dragging attention away from the crucial start of a new season and somewhat bugging the mentality of their current line up among other things. One being, the fact that a guy wants to try to legally strong arm to a seat and expect the team he stabbed to get said seat to bury the hatchet and help him succeed after he get's the said seat (if he does), is laughable. And as you put it wouldn't be short of thinking that they'd find reasons to make sure he didn't run and wish he never went about doing this.
IF I were VGD I'd take up what plenty of recently past f1 drivers have...find a seat in a Sport Car team.
- 9,401
- Western Sydney
- mustafur
Not if he gave money to Sauber and didn't get what they agreed on, it does if he doesn't just take the money he is entitled to and instead decides to ruin the team instead.
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
The only way it a) makes any sense and b) sees VDG come out on top is if Manor are negotiating with him and want the dispute settled first. But even then, they're talking with half a dozen other drivers.
- 9,401
- Western Sydney
- mustafur
So your saying him going to court with Sauber because he paid them money and had a contract in place for a race drive this year is pointless on his end to defend?
Chances are he understands it will not result ina race drive if he does infact win and just gets the money that he gave to the team to make the contract possible.
If someone screws you over you should have every right to get what your entitled to(or atleast get the money back you used to make the possibility happen).
Chances are he understands it will not result ina race drive if he does infact win and just gets the money that he gave to the team to make the contract possible.
If someone screws you over you should have every right to get what your entitled to(or atleast get the money back you used to make the possibility happen).
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- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
If there was indeed a contract and Sauber felt that the two drivers they picked (one which was part of a now defunct team and the other that had no chance of getting a drive this year with the team they were with), then they would have bought him out. Clearly ME and Nasr to Sauber were better prospects in speed and sponsor money over what they had had the year prior in Sutil and the Telmex money Gutierrez still brought in.
I don't see how Sauber could have easily said, yes to him, and then showed him the door without thinking some legal ramifications were to happen. Especially considering what Monisha has a degree in, it seems highly unlikely that the events given from the VGD camp are exactly what unfolded.
- 9,401
- Western Sydney
- mustafur
We don't really know that though, that will likely come out in the courts
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
Pretty much. If he wanted to get the money back, that's fine. But he reportedly wants the seat and nothing less. What do you think is going to happen then? He had to resort to a court of law to strong-arm his way into the team. Doing so will no doubt invalidate one or both of the contracts with Ericsson or Nasr. And once he gets into the seat, he would be in a car he has never driven, surrounded by a team that doesn't want him there to begin with, a team that he potentially cost millions of dollars. Do you honestly think he'll make it out of the garage? In all likelihood, he'll get to the grid on Sunday and someone will "accidentally" disconnect something while preparing the car and he will never even start the formation lap. Or he will fail to set a lap time in qualifying because of an undiagnosed engine fault that Sauber cannot fix in time for the race. And if he comes back in Malaysia, the same thing will happen again and again until he gets the message.
If he has a case, then of course he should have it heard. But he should do the smart thing and settle it out of court. If he insists on driving, he's going to embarrass himself, the team and the sport, and no-one is going to want anything to do with him, even if he proves to be a revelation.
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
What we know is his side, and he's said nothing about paying anything rather there was some vague deal (details unknown probably due to court case) that would have had him see the grid again in 2015 which is why he hung around 2014 as a reserve driver. Sauber haven't said much if anything about the subject which to me says they're hand are clean of this mess and it's just some disgruntled aging driver who is ousted by younger driver who don't have much time on their clock either but more than he does. If this is a matter of money being paid and no return then why didn't his camp say that?
http://en.espnf1.com/sauber/motorsport/story/193609.html
This is all Sauber has said recently on the matter
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- 20,685
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
If there's one thing Bernie doesn't like it's a mess in his paddock. I wonder if he'll be making moves to get rid of said mess somehow?
- 22,551
- Arizona
- HamiltonMP427
No he doesn't care about this stuff, especially with money to be made on his new customer deal he is planning.
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
There was a lot of talk about it last year, to the point where van der Garde staying with Sauber in some capacity was being openly discussed, even if both parties kept quiet on the matter. But details were never revealed, and the whole thing died down before the circus left Europe.
Oh, I think he will care. He won't want someone disrupting preparations like this.
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
The Dutch media are reportedly claiming that van der Garde has the Victorian police on standby, ready to impound Sauber's cars in the event that the courts rule in his favour, and that the cars will be impounded until such time as Sauber comply.
It's obvious rubbish - the police won't impound the cars without a court order specifically directing them to do so. Nor will they act on what might happen, especially in a situation like this, where the cars aren't going anywhere.
It's obvious rubbish - the police won't impound the cars without a court order specifically directing them to do so. Nor will they act on what might happen, especially in a situation like this, where the cars aren't going anywhere.
- 14,003
- Adelaide
- Neomone
Maybe. On the other hand, it's F1 drama so it's putting the sport in the news and getting people talking. From a purely commercial perspective, it could be considered good for business.
I imagine as long as things don't turn into an Indy '05 level farce, the organisers are quite happy to have a bit of drama in the paddock.
- 31,917
- Buckwheat City
- Dennisch
I think that because GvdG has a balance of -24 million might have something to do with the current lawsuit.
Dutch page.
Dutch page.
- 20,685
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
That's not how I read it... I think if he wins then he's in a very bad position as far as his relationship with the team goes.
If he (or his backers) have paid money in then he should be entitled to it back and to compensation for loss of earnings if he turned other positions down (presuming that the case is settled in his favour).
Forcing a drive with a team who don't want you (and potentially can no longer afford you) is just crazy.
True... the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
24 million? That's a very generous estimate. Most sources I have seen suggest he has less than a quarter of that.
But then the Dutch media are completely untrustworthy.
But then the Dutch media are completely untrustworthy.
- 31,917
- Buckwheat City
- Dennisch
True.
Over 2013 vdG lost 8 million on his private busines, racing for Caterham. Where the other millions come from, I have no idea, the Quote article doesn't say that, but I've asked them how they got to that number, so maybe we'll know more soon.
- 20,685
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
Haha, "Beast-Mode" enabled!
If he has a "valid, signed contract" as he says then maybe that's why the arbitrators found for him. I saw elsewhere that Sauber only consider that a first-stage judgement whereas VDG clearly considers it final-and-binding.
Still, as we've all been saying, what kind of "win" would getting the race seat be? A frosty one for sure.
- 31,917
- Buckwheat City
- Dennisch
If vdG wins everybody is a loser. Unless he just wants his money back, then only Sauber is. If he truly wants the seat we all are.
I never liked vdG. He always comes across as that guy who thinks he's better than everyone. And if it wasn't for his inlaw Daddy he'd be just as much of a F1 driver as me.
I never liked vdG. He always comes across as that guy who thinks he's better than everyone. And if it wasn't for his inlaw Daddy he'd be just as much of a F1 driver as me.
- 5,923
- England
- neljack
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
Van der Garde is Rachel from "Glee" - proof that if you have your heart set on something, then all you have to do is want it badly enough and you will get it. Talent doesn't come into it.
- 250
- Herts, UK
I don't think the "now" is too important to him. He had a seat, then he lost it. Then he signed for another team on the promise of a seat. Didn't get it. It's a case of do or die now. Nobody will give him a seat because he hasn't shown he deserves one. So he'll take this one at any cost and hopefully next season be off to somewhere else with another team.
You need talent, or Money in Modern F1. Money hasn't worked for him, so... needs a seat to prove he should get a seat.
Pretty nasty situation for all involved really.
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
Sauber's position so far is that the contract was not with van der Garde, but with his sponsors, and that it was not a contract to race, but rather a contract that gave them the option to pick him up. They have also argued that van der Garde is not registered with the FIA as a driver, and so the courts cannot force them to take him on. The lawyer representing Ericsson and Nasr has also added that his clients were never informed that van der Garde was intending to approach the Swiss court of arbitration, implying that they would not have signed up if they had been informed.
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