Photos show Sauber with UBS sponsor logos

Sauber came tantalisingly close to a major sponsorship deal with UBS, the Zurich based global financial services company.

It emerged recently that, before deciding to sponsor the entire sport last year, UBS chief executive Oswald Grubel wanted instead to link the brand with an individual team.

Blick claims that team was Hinwil based Sauber, and the newspaper has now published three ’secret’ photographs to prove it.

The newspaper said Grubel is friends with the similarly-aged team owner Peter Sauber, and that the sponsor tie-up came tantalisingly close to fruition.

The secret photos depict the white Ferrari-powered car adorned prominently with UBS’s corporate logo, with Blick claiming that the board of directors ultimately shot down the deal.

Grubel was UBS’s chief executive until he resigned in late September.