They call Bernie Ecclestone the ringmaster of Formula One, but he was not in Melbourne to run his circus. Perhaps he should have put in a call to Billy Smart’s as F1 descended into the kind of farce more suited to a parade of clowns than a leading sport.
When business opened for the new season, two cars were parked up in the garage for want of a laptop and two more were rendered inactive thanks to an embarrassing spat in an Australian court. On a day when a sport should have been celebrating its return, two of its smallest teams were explaining away their mishaps and legal tangles.
The saga over Sauber’s dispute with Giedo van der Garde, the Dutch driver who believes he should be in the team this season, has spilt over into this morning, just hours before qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. The team had faced the threat of bailiffs seizing their cars, while Monisha Kaltenborn, the team principal, was threatened with jail for contempt.
Kaltenborn ran this way and that around her motorhome while mechanics stared balefully at three drivers suited and booted for just two racing cars. As it was, Van der Garde could not persuade the FIA, the sport’s governing body, to give him a Superlicence in time to take part and the incumbents, Felipe Nasr and Marcus Eriksson, were allowed to get on with their day jobs.
Van der Garde is said to have put up about £5 million in a deal that included driving for Sauber this season; little wonder that he pursued the team so vigorously through the courts. Thankfully, common sense prevailed and Van der Garde abandoned his action this morning. Negotiations have now started on a settlement, which could mean a cash payoff or a deal for a race seat later in the season. “I wish to respect the interest of... Sauber, as well as Nasr and Ericsson,” Van der Garde said on his Facebook page. “I am confident such a solution will be found.”
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Next door at Manor Grand Prix came an admission that they may not run at all this weekend, despite travelling 10,000 miles to be in Melbourne. The team were rescued from administration by Stephen Fitzpatrick, the energy entrepreneur, with the promise of huge investment.
Yet team computers were wiped clean by administrators preparing assets for auction last year and have not yet been restored. Will Stevens, the British youngster preparing to drive here, twiddled his thumbs as it became clear that Manor will be doing little more than parading their new red uniforms in the paddock.