Sutil suing Sauber for $3.5 million

Adrian Sutil

(GMM) Once again as a new F1 season looms, there is legal trouble ahead for the Swiss team Sauber.

Last year it was the high-profile dispute with Giedo van der Garde, and Swiss reports now suggest that another disgruntled driver is pressing a claim against Sauber.

The Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper said the Zurich supreme court has this week ruled as admissible a claim for 3.5 million Swiss francs ($3.5m) filed by lawyers for Adrian Sutil.

Like van der Garde, German Sutil reportedly inked a contract for 2015 with Sauber, but the team ultimately gave its race seats to Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson.

The report said Sauber argued in court that Sutil lost his place due to poor performance, had incurred race penalties, stalled the engine and had been publicly critical of the team in a press conference.

Sauber claims Sutil, who is now a reserve driver for Williams, also promised to raise some 40 million Swiss francs in sponsorship that was never delivered, Neue Zurcher Zeitung added.

As for Sutil's apparent court victory this week, Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn told Blick newspaper: "The decision concerns only procedural matters."

33-year-old Sutil, meanwhile, commented: "I am calm about it as I did nothing wrong."