Peter Sauber vows to try to save Hinwil jobs

(GMM) Peter Sauber has ruled out returning to F1 as a team owner and boss, but amid BMW's impending withdrawal insists he will try hard to safeguard the Hinwil based outfit he founded in 1993.

The 65-year-old Swiss sold his independent outfit to the Munich manufacturer in late 2005, and admitted last Wednesday that BMW's decision to quit in the middle of its fourth championship campaign was a total surprise.

"One thing is clear: I will do everything possible to save the jobs of my former employees," Sauber is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Bild.

But despite his ongoing 20 per cent ownership in the team that still bears his name, warned: "I cannot perform a miracle, and no longer will I be the chief on the pitwall.

"I have told people that I will use all my contacts, but that guarantees nothing," Sauber continued. "I'm just a consultant. Ultimately, only BMW in Munich can decide how to proceed."

He said he does not know what is going to happen next, admitted a Honda/Brawn solution is an option, and insists that "time is short, a solution must be on the table as quickly as possible".