Sauber to fight ex-driver’s court action

Sauber has vowed to fight legal action launched by former driver Giedo van der Garde ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

Van der Garde, who was a reserve driver for Sauber last season, claims the team reneged on an agreement for a race seat in 2015 and is seeking to claim a spot on the grid for the season-opening race.

Lawyers acting for the Dutch driver lodged papers with the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday with the matter to be heard on Monday in Melbourne, just days before the race gets underway.

“As this matter is currently before the courts it would be inappropriate for me to comment on specific details,” Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn said via a statement released on Friday.

“However, we will take all necessary steps to protect our company, this team and its interests.

“Last year was a challenging time for us but going into the 2015 season we have been focused on putting steps in place to ensure that we are delivering the best outcomes for F1’s fans.”

The financially-troubled Swiss team appointed Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr as its drivers for 2015, with both bringing lucrative sponsorship backing.

Van der Garde, 29, originally took his case to the Arbitration Institution in Switzerland, which ordered Sauber to keep him on the team.

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