Giedo van der Garde free to race in Melbourne after Sauber appeal upheld

Giedo van der Garde has been given the green light to take part in this weekend's season-opening Grand Prix in Australia after winning a long-running legal battle.

The 29-year-old was not due to race for Sauber in Melbourne following a contractual dispute, with Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr listed as the selected drivers.

Van der Garde won a court hearing in Australia yesterday to overturn the decision, which Sauber then decided to appeal against with just days to go before the new campaign gets underway.

However, judge Simon Whelan has now upheld the Supreme Court's initial ruling that Sauber's contract with the Dutchman was valid, despite the contractor insisting that they sacked the driver in November.

Van der Garde, who drove for Caterham in 2003 before making the switch, is now expected to sue Sauber for a breach of contract.