Sauber ‘open to anything’ in new Honda deal

Editor

Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn has said that the team are "open to anything" with Honda, including giving opportunities to Japanese drivers.

Sauber will ditch Ferrari for Honda at the end of the current season and Kaltenborn says a whole range of possibilities can be discussed between the two as they look to build their relationship together.

"We'll see how it all pans out," Kaltenborn told Motorsport.com. "We're really at the beginning now.

 "I don't know their deals with McLaren. We are a very different project and we'll see where we can benefit from each other in this.

"We've been in situations where we were a manufacturer team, we're not a manufacturer team now, we're a customer to them.

"But we know that there are a lot of opportunities there, and this is one of the reasons why we decided for this partnership.

"It's far too early to say we'll be doing this and that but, yes, we're open to anything."

Sauber are also willing to bring in developing Japanese drivers into the team.

 "Like it always is in these cases, when you have a partner like this, whatever decisions you take, you discuss it with the partner," Kaltenborn added.

"We have done it no differently in the past, by the way. You listen to their opinions, you take advice.

"In the end it's the team's responsibility. We are actually the team that has the last podium finish with a Japanese driver, and it was also in Japan.

"So that puts us in a very unique situation."