• BMW Sauber

Sauber still waiting on 2010 entry

As the teams prepare for the final race of the 2009 season, Peter Sauber is frustrated by the uncertain future BMW Sauber face. BMW's sale of the team to Qadbak Investments came too late to be guaranteed a place in the 2010 championship, and after failing to secure a 14th place on the grid they must wait to hear if another team drops out.

Sauber, who launched the team in 1993, has labelled the situation "a joke", suggesting that even if all four teams, Manor, USF1, Lotus and Campos, make it onto the grid in Bahrain in March, the likelihood of all four enjoying a long-term future is low.

"They do not have to prove anything and yet they disturb our plans for next season," Sauber told Swiss newspaper Blick. "Perhaps the four [new teams] will have cars in Bahrain, but will have run out of money by 2011," he added.

While the Sauber team wait to hear their fate for next season, BMW Motorsport director Mario Theissen paid tribute to the team's dedication, despite the uncertainty of the season. "Of course, the whole team is disappointed that we have been unable to build on this success in 2009, as we had hoped to have a say in the title race," he said. "But we have never thrown in the towel, even after BMW announced its withdrawal from Formula One, which shows the strong character of our team."

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