Guido van der Garde was not on the 2015 grid with Sauber (Image: Getty)
With the 2015 approaching, were busy preparing for the new campaign after a pointless 2014 season. There was, however, one major problem: the team had signed three drivers for two race seats.
It is not uncommon for teams to use more than two F1 drivers in a single season. In 2024, , Williams, Haas, and all deployed three different racers across their two seats. However, these arrangements typically fall into three categories: drivers missing races due to illness, race bans, or being axed mid-season due to sub-par performances.
None of these scenarios were the case at Sauber in 2015. Sensing the need for a fresh start, the team dropped Esteban Gutierrez and Adrian Sutil, opting to replace the struggling duo with Swedish prospect Marcus Ericsson and Brazil’s Felipe Nasr. Simple enough, right?
Unfortunately for the Hinwil-based team, Giedo van der Garde also felt entitled to a seat. The Dutchman joined the team the previous year in a test and reserve role after departing the ailing Caterham outfit, and he alleged that Sauber had guaranteed him a seat for the following campaign.
With Nasr and Ericsson also committed, Sauber found themselves in a sticky situation. Van der Garde, who was not best pleased at being shunted onto the sidelines, filed an international arbitration complaint in the Swiss courts in December 2014.
The legal battle dragged on over the winter, and in the week of the season-opening Australian GP, national courts ruled that Van der Garde deserved to race for Sauber at the Albert Park Circuit. The Dutchman even turned up in the team’s garage dressed in race overalls with his helmet, ready to drive.
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Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson represented Sauber in 2015 (Image: Getty)
While the ruling went in Van der Garde’s favour, after extended discussions with the Sauber team, he waived his rights to race in Australia. The Hinwil-based constructor kicked off the 2015 campaign with Ericsson and Nasr in their cockpits. A financial settlement was reached between the two parties.
“We have reached a settlement with Sauber and my driver contract with the team has been ended by mutual consent,” he explained. “As a passionate race driver, I feel sad and am very disappointed. I had hoped at last to be able to show what I am capable of, driving a car for a respected midfield team in the 2015 season.
“This dream has been taken away from me, and I know that my future in Formula One is probably over. I had a valid driver contract for the entire 2015 season and enforceable rights to it.
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“I am a race driver and all I want is to race. However, the team principal was adamant not to let me drive, notwithstanding my legal rights to do so and a series of rulings and court orders in my favour and despite my race driving abilities.
“I will never understand this. I could have persisted, but the team principal had taken a decision contrary to my contract that she would not work with me and this became painfully clear in the paddock in Melbourne.”