Adrian Sutil's $3.5m Lawsuit Against Sauber Moves Forward
The Zurich supreme court has allowed Adrian Sutil's claim for 3.5 million Swiss francs against Sauber, following his dropped 2015 race seat.
Adrian Sutil's legal claim against Sauber over a lost Formula One drive will proceed after the Zurich supreme court ruled his 3.5 million Swiss franc lawsuit admissible. The German driver alleges Sauber breached contract terms by dropping him for the 2015 season.
Sutil, who raced for Sauber in 2014, said he had a contract for the following season. Instead, the team signed Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson as its 2015 drivers. Sutil's lawyers filed the claim, seeking damages equivalent to the value of his contract.
Sauber's defence centred on Sutil's on-track performance, including race penalties and a public criticism of the team. The team also claimed Sutil failed to deliver a promised 40 million Swiss francs in sponsorship, according to Swiss media reports. The court's January 2016 decision only confirmed the claim was procedurally valid, not that Sutil would win damages.
Background: Sauber's contract disputes
This is not the first time Sauber has faced legal action from a former driver over a contract dispute. In 2015, Giedo van der Garde also took the Swiss team to court, arguing he had a valid contract for a race seat. The matter was settled out of court after a high-profile standoff at the Australian Grand Prix. For more on Sauber’s previous legal battles, see Sutil’s Sauber contract row highlights F1’s legal minefield.
What the ruling means for Sauber and Sutil
The court’s ruling in Zurich allows Sutil’s claim to proceed but does not decide the outcome. Sauber’s team principal Monisha Kaltenborn told Swiss media the decision concerns only procedural matters. Sutil, who became a reserve driver for Williams after leaving Sauber, has stated he is calm about the situation and maintains he did nothing wrong.
