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LONDON, England - Formula 1 could lose another back-of-the-grid team ahead of the 2014 season.
There were 12 teams in 2012's championship but struggling HRT succumbed at the end of that year. Now, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, the grid could be reduced to 10 teams and 20 cars for 2014.
Respected correspondent Michael Schmidt said back-marker Marussia could merge with the financially struggling but far more established mid-fielder Sauber.
CLAIRE SAID NO
"(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 F1. First, he wanted to buy Toto Wolff's shares in Williams.
Schmidt said: "Bernie Ecclestone is said to have endorsed the deal but Claire Williams rejected it to remain independent. Now the Russians apparently have Sauber in their sights."
Meanwhile, RTL Nederland has reported that Marcel Boekhoorn, a billionaire Dutch businessman, could be interested in buying into Force India. Boekhoorn happens to be Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde's father-in-law.
There were 12 teams in 2012's championship but struggling HRT succumbed at the end of that year. Now, according to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, the grid could be reduced to 10 teams and 20 cars for 2014.
Respected correspondent Michael Schmidt said back-marker Marussia could merge with the financially struggling but far more established mid-fielder Sauber.
CLAIRE SAID NO
"(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 F1. First, he wanted to buy Toto Wolff's shares in Williams.
Schmidt said: "Bernie Ecclestone is said to have endorsed the deal but Claire Williams rejected it to remain independent. Now the Russians apparently have Sauber in their sights."
Meanwhile, RTL Nederland has reported that Marcel Boekhoorn, a billionaire Dutch businessman, could be interested in buying into Force India. Boekhoorn happens to be Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde's father-in-law.