Sauber falls behind in February staff salaries

Sauber is entering yet another Formula 1 season under a financial cloud.

A year ago, it was the Giedo van der Garde saga that almost derailed the struggling Swiss team.

Now, Swiss newspaper Blick reports that Sauber has fallen behind in its wage payments to its more than 300 staff at the Hinwil factory.

"Yes, it is true," boss and co-owner Monisha Kaltenborn confirmed. Part of the February salaries are still due, which I really regret.

"Right now is the most cost-intensive period [of the season]. And there have been technical problems with the transfer of a big sponsorship amount from abroad."

She told her unpaid staff: "We will get the current problems under control and out of this unfortunate situation soon.

"We will keep fighting, just as we have in the past years."

Sauber finished eighth in the 2015 constructors' championship.