The Dutch racing driver Giedo van der Garde has dropped his legal demand to drive for Sauber in this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
The news will come as a great relief to Sauber and Formula One in general, but the team still faces a hefty compensation bill.
In a statement Van der Garde said: “With respect to the interest of motorsport, and F1 in particular, I have decided to give up my legal rights to race this weekend at the Melbourne Grand Prix.”
“As I am a passionate race driver this decision has been very difficult for me.
“However, I also wish to respect the interest of the FIA, Sauber Motorsport, as well as Nasr and Ericsson. My management will continue talks with Sauber early next week to find a mutually acceptable solution for the current situation that has now arisen.
“I am confident such solution will be found and I will inform the media once done.”
Lawyers and judges said that this had been an extraordinary case. It has ended with the news that Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr are free to drive for Sauber this weekend.
But this is not the end of the story. It could well end with Sauber paying Van der Garde substantial compensation. But the driver could still prove even more difficult and there is the possibility of replaying this week’s fiasco in another week or two, with the team having to decide what to do with their three drivers who are all, it seems, contracted to drive for them this year.
Whatever happens now, the position of Monisha Kaltenborn, Sauber’s team principal, is a difficult one, and one she will have to consider very carefully in the next few days.
