Sauber's future in F1 "could be boosted if talks with Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll to buy in to the team are successful," according to Noble & Rencken of
AUTOSPORT. Stroll, who made his money in the clothing industry with Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, "is interested in getting involved in F1 and has been in discussions with Sauber." Sauber Team Principal
Monisha Kaltenborn "refused to comment on the situation when asked at the Italian Grand Prix."
Stroll "owns the Mont Tremblant circuit in Canada, and his son Lance is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and races in the Italian Formula 4 championship."
If a Sauber deal is successful, it "would further cement the strong links Stroll has with the team's engine supplier Ferrari" -- and offer an obvious place for his son's future motor racing career to develop (AUTOSPORT, 9/8). SPORTAL's Marco Nehmer reported Stroll, who has an estimated fortune of €1.8B ($2.3B) and is ranked 815th on Forbes' rich list, "is currently trying to sell his shares in clothing company Michael Kors." Sauber "is struggling with on-track performance and could drop out of the top 10 in the constructors championship." This "would result in the loss of millions and dwindling competitiveness" (SPORTAL, 9/7).