Sauber leaves the FOTA in turn
Already deprived of HRT, Ferrari, and Red Bull, FOTA loses a new member with Sauber as Toro Rosso might follow the Swiss team in the coming days.
After HRT at the start of the season, Ferrari and Red Bull last week, it’s now Sauber’s turn to slam the door on the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), as revealed by Autosport.
This new defection had been in the air for a few days and was confirmed on Wednesday by the statements of a spokesperson for the Swiss team who assured that the reasons have been fully explained to the FOTA members and will not be revealed for the time being.
Doubts also arise regarding the possible withdrawal of Scuderia Toro Rosso – the sister team of Red Bull, powered by a Ferrari engine – which reportedly did not send a representative to a FOTA meeting held on Monday in London. The meeting gathered the remaining members of the Association to assess the current situation, but the organization’s spokesperson declined to comment following the meeting.
On the verge of implosion, FOTA hopes to take advantage of the two-month notice required for any team wishing to leave the organization to make them reconsider their decision. A meeting between McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes is reportedly being considered to continue discussions on the cost reduction agreement (RRA), which appears to be the cause of this wave of defections.
