Even with $14 million in his hand, reigning GP2 champion Fabio Leimer could not buy his way into formula one.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old Swiss, who will instead race sports cars in 2014, was healthily backed by his wealthy long-time sponsor Rainer Gantenbein.<\/p>\n
The veteran correspondent for Blick newspaper, Roger Benoit, claims Gantenbein offered Sauber almost $14 million in exchange for one of the Hinwil based team’s race seats this year.<\/p>\n
But Leimer has reportedly told some insiders that Sauber’s counter-proposal was no less than $28 million — slightly less than what Esteban Gutierrez’s Mexican backers pay.<\/p>\n
Instead, Sauber signed the experienced Adrian Sutil to be Gutierrez’s new teammate.<\/p>\n
But Benoit claims that Sutil’s seat for 2015 is in doubt.<\/p>\n
He said reserve driver Giedo van der Garde and his Dutch sponsors are promising “many millions” to Sauber for a race seat next year.<\/p>\n
A sign the 29-year-old van der Garde may even have a “preliminary agreement” with Sauber is the fact that not only will he be in action on Friday morning in Barcelona, but also during the post-race test at the same Spanish grand prix venue.<\/p>\n
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