The depths of Sauber’s financial problems are now beginning to emerge.
The Swiss business newspaper Handeslzeitung reports that dozens of unpaid suppliers to the struggling Hinwil based team have filed claims, totalling almost EUR 1 million.
The report said the suppliers have waited several months for their invoices to be paid, before lodging the claims against Sauber with the official Swiss debt register Betreibungsregister.
"We are very much in contact with our suppliers," founder Peter Sauber is quoted as saying, "and make every effort to get out of this situation as quickly as possible."
The Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger said Sauber, who may also owe money to engine supplier Ferrari, needs to fill an additional $30 million hole simply to complete the 2013 season.
It has been reported that Sauber is in talks with a financial saviour from Russia, but the latest rumour is that the possibility of a tie-up with an international Asian carmaker is also on the table.