Marussia to merge with Sauber?/ Dutch billionaire wants Force India.

Formula One could be set to shed yet another team from the back of the grid ahead of the 2014 season.
Twelve teams contested last year's world championship, but struggling HRT succumbed at the end of the year.

Now, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, the sport could be reduced to just 10 teams and twenty cars ahead of the 2014 season.
Respected correspondent Michael Schmidt said backmarker Marussia could merge with the financially struggling but far more established midfielder Sauber.

"(Marussia team owner) Andrei Cheglakov is apparently fed up with digging so deep into his own pockets only to be at the back of the field," said Schmidt.
"But he wants to stay in Formula One. First, he wanted to buy Toto Wolff's Williams shares," the German correspondent added.
"Bernie Ecclestone is said to have endorsed the deal, but Claire Williams rejected it because they want to remain independent.
"Now, the Russians apparently have Sauber in their sights," said Schmidt.

Meanwhile, RTL Nederland has reported that Marcel Boekhoorn, a Dutch businessman and billionaire, could be interested in buying into Force India.
Fascinatingly, Boekhoorn is Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde's father-in-law.

Would welcome the Marussia/Sauber merge. Marussia are going nowhere fast & Sauber have serious financial issues.

Not sure Vijay will want to release control of his team. I guess he'd welcome investment but don't really see that one coming off. Now we know why Van Der Gaarde is in F1, with that kind of background backing.

I hope this isn't the case. I have always held the theory of the more teams the better.

I can't see Vijay wanting to do any deal but the other deal could have some legs. Marussia need serious help & Sauber are in a mess financially, so I wouldn't mind really. It's boring watching Marussia cars well off the pace & lapped continuously. It will be the same next year & the year after. Losing two cars off the grid won't affect anything for me.

CaledonianCraig wrote:I hope this isn't the case. I have always held the theory of the more teams the better.

Me too but only if they are competitive. The 3 teams at the back have been a complete waste of time and money.

Ps I was including HRT in that.

If Marussia are competive fine. But F1 doesn't need cars 3-5 seconds a lap off the pace

Hmm. So Sauber could become Sauber Marussia (I'm guessing Cheglakov would want the name to remain in some form)?

Losing Marussia as a team would be no big loss and would hopefully act as a kick up the gearbox to the likes of Caterham and Williams, pushing them to be more competitive.

I'm not surprised Williams turned down his offer, as Claire hinted at the Brazilian GP that they have secured some major new backing...lets hope it comes off and helps them move up the grid. I've hated seeing them struggle for so long.

I think Sir Frank would sooner see the team fold than be gobbled up by another team. He has great pride I reckon it being a privateer team for so long with such a distinguished record (though not of late).