An Indian consortium has applied to buy BMW-Sauber, which is seeking new backers after German carmaker BMW said it was pulling out of Formula One at the end of the season, domestic media reported on Saturday.
“Indian investors have made an application to purchase the BMW-Sauber team,” the Times of India quoted unnamed sources as saying. The paper said the deal was based around a 50 million euro investment and involved Swiss driver Neel Jani.
Jani was part of A1Team Switzerlands A1GP Championship winning team in Season 3 2007/08 and has been the most successful driver ever in the A1GP series, and whose father is Indian.
An Indian already owns an F1 team with liquor and airline billionaire Vijay Mallya’s Force India. However, there is no Indian driver on the grid. Last month, team principal Mario Theissen said BMW-Sauber had several rescue proposals and had applied to keep their place in Formula One next year.
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