Mar.18 (GMM) The Giedo van der Garde camp is set to issue details of the compensation package agreed with Sauber.
The battle between the Dutch driver and his backers and the struggling Swiss team raged in the Melbourne courts, but suddenly ended before qualifying for the 2015 season opener.
Some sensed the intervening hand of Bernie Ecclestone, others the deep pockets of Peter Sauber or Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson’s concerned backers.
Another rumour is that van der Garde’s main backer and father-in-law Marcel Boekhoorn, a billionaire, will end up owning a stake in the 22-year-old F1 team.
Dutch media reports on Tuesday suggested the financial compensation package amounted to EUR 15 million — the full cost of van der Garde’s 2014-2015 contract, plus legal costs.
“Tomorrow (Wednesday) or the day after,” van der Garde’s manager Jan-Paul ten Hoopen told De Telegraaf newspaper, “we will publish information.”
A spokesman for Sauber, meanwhile, told the Swiss broadcaster Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen on Tuesday: “We are pleased that the matter is settled.
“As to the details, we cannot comment for reasons of confidentiality, and we will not engage in speculation,” he added.