Formula One news

F1 'not healthy' - Sauber

Bought-out F1 boss Peter Sauber reckons the current financial situation on the grid is 'not healthy'. The Swiss, who in China attended his last grand prix as a team owner after selling Sauber to BMW, says the carmaker era made it nearly impossible to merely survive in pitlane.

"Costs have gone up drastically," he told Autosport, "and I think with those costs financially formula one is on a level today that is not really healthy."

Sauber says that when he entered F1, in 1993, the pinnacle of motor racing was still on a 'normal technical level'.

The Hinwil based camp had 60 employees and a $20 million budget. In 2005, Sauber-Petronas was ten times bigger. "Budgets exploded," Peter confirmed. In 435 grand prix stars, Sauber never won a race.

He explains: "With our resources it was impossible to win with our own performance. In formula one, a podium was like a win for us."

Sauber will, at least, stay busy next year and beyond. He has a BMW consultancy contract, will advise Credit Suisse's continuing F1 involvement, and is working on a new deal between BMW and long time Sauber backer Petronas.

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