Sauber Wants Drivers Bringing Financial Backing In 2017

Drivers looking to Sauber in the 2017 Formula One season will have to bring their bank accounts, according to recent comments by the team’s principal.

The Sauber Formula One team has stated publicly an unwritten criteria in motorsports: they want two drivers that will bring their own financial backing to the 2017 season.

Per a Tuesday report from Racer, Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn has declared that her squad is looking to sign drivers that come with a financial package for next year, calling it “certainly beneficial.”

When specifically asked if the team would consider a driver without financial support, Kaltenborn was equally direct, saying “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Sauber’s two 2016 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr both contributed “significant funding” to the team, per Racer, but their contracts expire this season and each have been talking to other F1 organizations about 2017.

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But whether Sauber re-signs Ericsson and/or Nasr, or brings in someone new, Kaltenborn’s words this week make clear that person will have to be well funded.

“We have to consider that in view of what the environment is like out there,” she said of asking drivers to come with financial backing.

“We’re confident our car will be better next year and we’re hoping to have more sponsors onboard,” she added, “but in the current environment, it is still about finances.

“There is a close link to the more you have, the more you can test and that’s what you need to do. It would be very beneficial and good the way we are going and help us to do things quicker.”

Kaltenborn’s declaration is uncommonly blunt but it’s speaking to a fact that many motorsports fans and teams are already aware of. Fans like to refer to it as “ride buying,” and it’s a very real thing.

Over stateside in IndyCar, Carlos Munoz may lose his seat at Andretti Autosport if he can’t find sponsorship in his native Colombia. Fellow Colombian and 2015 Rookie of the Year Gabby Chaves did lose his ride at Bryan Herta Autosport over financial issues.

Even four-time champion Scott Dixon’s team at Chip Ganassi Racing felt a financial pinch this year as longtime sponsor Target withdrew its support to pursue other promotional opportunities.

Next: Sergio Perez Still Delaying Announcement Of 2017 Plans

It’s expensive to run a full-time motorsports entry with everything in technology and manpower that it entails, and even moreso if you are looking to contend with the major names in your league, be it Mercedes in Formula One or Penske in IndyCar.

With entries like Sauber making decisions off their ledger as opposed to on talent, that’s not the ideal way that race fans would like to see things pan out. But given the tremendous amount of funds required, it’s the only way that keeps some organizations afloat.

What do you think about Sauber’s decision to search for financially supported drivers?

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