No major backer for Sauber in Bahrain

Contrary to earlier rumours, it appears that Sauber will in fact not contest this weekend’s 2010 season opener with a new major sponsor.

It had been speculated that talks with a significant backer could result in a deal to be unveiled in Bahrain, but team boss Peter Sauber reports that the bodywork of the Ferrari-powered C29 is to remain mostly blank for now.

"After the withdrawal of BMW and the takeover of the team, the time was simply too short for us to find a partner or principal sponsor," the 66-year-old told Switzerland’s 20 Minuten.

"We only had confirmation of the 13th team entry in December so concrete negotiations (with backers) could only start very late.

"Nevertheless, the 2010 season for us is guaranteed, even though the more sponsors we have, the more we can invest in the development of the car."

Sauber said the team’s drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi are not bringing any sponsors to their seats.

"Neither of them has brought money. I hired them only because of their achievements," said the Swiss.

But when asked if he thinks Sauber will be able to tap into the Spanish and Japanese markets, he answered: "I hope so.

"The Spanish and Japanese markets are lucrative, although there has also been the impact of the global financial crisis."