Ex-Formula One driver Giedo Van der Garde is launching legal action against the Sauber Formula One team in the run up to next week’s Formula One 2015 opening round in Australia on the ground of unfair dismissal. Van der Garde served as the team’s third driver last year, having previously raced for Caterham in 2013.
He has started legal action at the Victorian Supreme Court with an aim to be reinstated into the team as a race driver for the Australian Grand Prix:
“In early November 2014, Mr van de Garde was informed by Sauber’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Monisha Kaltenborn, that Sauber’s two seats had been given to other drivers and that, as a consequence, Mr van der Garde would not have a place as a driver in the team in 2015,” said the statement from Van der Garde which was published by Australian media.
“The Respondent was ordered to refrain from taking any action the effect of which would be to deprive Mr van der Garde of his entitlement to participate in the 2015 Formula One Season as one of Sauber’s two nominated race drivers.”
Sauber F1 team have yet to comment. It is believed that Van der Garde is seeking an urgent hearing on Monday morning next week, four days before the opening practice session for the Grand Prix at the Albert Park street circuit.
Sauber signed Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr as their race drivers for this season, with Ferrari junior driver Raffaele Marciello taking Van der Garde’s place as reserve driver.
