Sauber F1 boss Monisha Kaltenborn has said that the team were close to entering Formula E in it’s inaugural season.
Speaking to Autosport, Kaltenborn said that they were ‘very serious’ about submitting an entry for the 2014/15 season, and said that a slot had been held back for them.
However the Swiss team decided against entering in order to focus resources on their F1 team.
Kaltenborn said, “We were very, very serious about it. It’s something we looked at right at the beginning and right to the end they kept a seat for us, but we had other issues to sort out and you don’t want a new one coming up.
“We were on to it for a long time, since the time when they started talking about it. We were really into it but if the time is not right, one shouldn’t force it.”
Despite saying no to entering the series back then, she insisted that they had not ruled out entering in future.
“We will continue to look at it carefully, the door is not closed there for me, but it’s an add-on,” she said.
“Definitely, it’s something one should look at. It’s the future. We are diversifying. Were you allowed to work on the chassis, we could do that quickly as we have a track record in doing things for other series.”
Kaltenborn did however highlight concerns over the future costs of the series.
Recent months have seen Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes and Audi increase their involvement in Formula E, which she believes will inevitably lead to a increase in how much you need to spend to remain competitive.
She commented, “If you see Formula E, the teams which started, a few of them aren’t there.
“It started with a big name or person having a team and already manufacturers come in. We’ve seen when they come in, the costs hike, even if you try to keep a standard car.
“You are already seeing the tendencies of how things are going to be opened up season by season, which basically means it will get very expensive.”
