Sauber’s race at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix was plagued by their ongoing legal battle with former Caterham F1 driver Giedo Van der Garde.
The legal battle, which started in 2014, only became public prior to the opening race of the 2015 season after Van der Garde and his legal team “tried to force the team to accept the rulings of a succession of legal authorities and courts”.
In an official statement, the Dutchman revealed that he had mutually agreed with Sauber to suspend discussions, after Team Principal Monisha Kaltenborn showed no interest in working with him.
Pursuing the matter any further,he said, “might have brought down the team, would certainly have wrecked the opening Grand Prix in Melbourne because the team’s cars would have been seized by the court, [and] it may have [also] ruined the careers of two young drivers – Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr”.
– Chris JK.
KPH car blog 