JUNE 1, 1998

Sauber still holding out

SAUBER is still maintaining its illogical refusal to sign the Concorde Agreement and in recent days Sauber PetronasÊEngineering chairman Fritz Kaiser has been quoted as saying that this because of the problems between Formula 1 racing and the European Commission.

"We feel that EC issues should be taken seriously," Kaiser told reporters. This is commendable but illogical as the Swiss team stands to lose millions of dollars if it is excluded from the 1998-2008 Concorde Agreement which was signed by all the other F1 teams at Monaco.

Kaiser's recent letter to the teams about the situation between the European Commission and Formula 1 apparently indicates an in-depth understanding of what is happening in Brussels and we have heard the suggestion that Kaiser is perhaps connected with important people in Brussels. If this is the case, Sauber's refusal to sign the Concorde Agreement takes on a much more interesting aspect - although it remains unclear as to whether he is working with or against Ecclestone.