Poll Will Sauber survive until the start of the 2016 season?

[Greenlantern101]

Sauber are busy hammering nails in to their own coffin and making themselves as attractive to sponsors as a 1970's children's television host. We must ask the question 'was Darwin correct' has their stupidity driven them toward an early grave?

Will Sauber survive until the start of the 2016 season?

 

[cider_and_toast]

It's going to be quite tough for them. They've managed to give away a major chunk of their current drivers sponsorship to pay off VdG. They've already had their FOM cash this year (though I expect they will get more because there is no way they will finish outside of the top 10) and must be bracing themselves to make a near equal payment to Sutil should he rock the boat.

I think they'll make it but only just.

Expect the team to be searching desperately for a new buyer during the season.

 

[siffert_fan]

I believe that the team will (barely), but Kalterborn won't. She all too obviously suffers from foot-in-mouth disease, as well as making horrendous business decisions which will impede the team for the foreseeable future.

 

[Titch]

I think that they have hammered the nails of deception and deceit deep. Publicly. The slide downward will be rapid.

 

[Bill Boddy]

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/singapore-airlines-named/1725864.html

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

I think they'll do a lot better this year than last. I'm cheating because they already have! I think they'll survive financially too. I'm not sure Monisha will. I feel sad as its great to see a female team principal and this is maybe a rather stupid error to fail on, especially as they're doing pretty well on the track just for now at least, for which she can claim at least some of the credit.

 

[cider_and_toast]

The fact of the matter is, I couldn't imagine Claire Williams making the same mistake of hiring 4 drivers before the season has already got underway. That's not to suggest that she is any better equipped than Monisha to run an F1 team however I would imagine Claire would run things by Sir Frank before making decisions, if only for advice. So the fact of the matter is, while it carries his name and he is still the owner, what is Peter Sauber's role in this? Is it unfair to place all the blame at Monisha's door when the team owner still has a visible presence among the team. After all, Peter was in the garage last weekend in Melbourne so he must still be in touch with the day to day goings on at the very least.

 

[Dash Racing]

They'll survive until the start of 2016, but I doubt they'll make it to the end of 2017.

 

[sobriety]

the same mistake

What makes you think it was a mistake? It's more likely a case of 'We need £x million, our car is crap so no chance of getting sponsors, sod it just sign a load of pay drivers and work it out once we're safe*'

*They may well not be safe.

 

[FB]

Kaltenborn owns 30% of the shares in Sauber so unless she walks it will be hard to get rid.

 

[soccerman17]

Car seems quick. Should bring in enough sponsors to make it, despite Monisha's best attempts.

 

[gethinceri]

They should start a new, spin-off, all female team with Monisha as chief. I'm sure that would atract huge sponsorship and it would ensure that Sutil gets a drive, too.

 

[Greenlantern101]

OMG you better take that back or he'll glass you.

 

[Il_leone]

Sauber will not survive and chances are maybe bought out.

They have been running tightly since 2013 and I can't see Ferrari wanting to support them anymore

They have an excellent wind tunnel facility so that is something potential buyers want and I could only think of Audi. I don't see Mclaren supporting Sauber by running it as a junior team with support of Honda as logistically not feasible

 

[Shogun]

If they keep finishing in the points they will.

 

[teabagyokel]

I can't see Ferrari wanting to support them anymore

Why?

 

[Il_leone]

Ferrari are going to support the Haas team because of the opportunities of the US market plus they want customer teams to be able to pay for the engines

They've already bitten their lip with Marussia so another team not being able to pay their engines don't think is something they want

 

[Il_leone]

Having said that the new Ferrari engine might help Sauber in scoring more points as it appears to be a significant improvement upon last year's engine

 

[RasputinLives]

Have Ferrari been 'supporting them' in the first place? They placed a few young drivers there in the past but not for a while. Sauber have been paying for their engines after all.

I feel a bit sorry for Sauber over the whole driver thing. Yes they've been decietful and down right devious but it was all done out of an instinct to survive rather than for profit. I honestly don't think the team would be here without them having done the 'four driver' deal. Of course its completely wrong and despicable but if a man steels a loaf of bread to feed his starving kids whilst his brother has so much bread he doesn't know what to do with would you judge him?

Yes they will survive thanks to Nasr, Banco Brazil and Bernie bunging them next years prize money early too.

 

[jez101]

I don't know the exact figures, but VDG allegedly paid $8m cash up front at a time last year when Sauber would have been broke without. They ended up paying him $15m back (again, allegedly) so they are $7m down.

But, Nasr and Ericsson brought $40m (so they say), so say half that per driver, $20m, less the $7m loss on VDG, they are still $13m up on that one seat, or $5m more than they would have got by honouring VDGs deal.

Of course it could have been better, but its not that bad either.

Sutil and Guttierrez? Did they pay cash up front like VDG did? If so, then they will get a similar amount of compensation back. I don't think they did though, so their circumstances are totally different.

It is one thing to break a contract that neither side has honoured yet. It's a different situation when one party has fulfilled their side and the other then backs out. That's why there was a lawsuit and a big compensation cheque for Guido and his investors.