Sauber Casts More Doubt on French GP

Team boss Peter Sauber hammered another nail in the coffin of this year's French Grand Prix by saying he prefers only 17 races on the calendar.

"I prefer 17 races," said Sauber during the launch of his team's new car in Austria.

"Eighteen races is too much for the teams," he added. "But if my colleagues, nine of them, prefer an 18th race then we have to go in this direction. And then we take the money, of course."

The race, whose future remains in doubt with team bosses expected to vote on whether to go this week, would be an 18th date on the calendar, more than Formula One has ever had, and depends on the French organisers paying teams compensation for attending.

Williams boss Frank Williams last week also cast doubt on the French Grand Prix being held.

"We are planning on 18 races, but I can't see how the French can afford to pay the teams the necessary amount of money to do an 18th race," he said at the launch of Williams' new FW26.