Thursday April 27th, 2000

The BAR Formula One team confirmed on Thursday they were suing Mika Salo's management for money they claim was owed them for allowing the Finnish driver to race for Ferrari last season.

"BAR is litigating against Salo's management company in a simple debt action," said a BAR spokesman.

Salo lost his drive with the Arrows team a week before the start of the 1999 season but was then drafted in by BAR as official test and reserve driver when Brazilian Ricardo Zonta was injured.

He competed in six races for Ferrari after Michael Schumacher broke his leg at Silverstone in July. The Finn is now with the Sauber team.

The spokesman said the case had nothing to do with the driver taking any team secrets to Ferrari, adding that it was hard to envisage anything Ferrari might have found useful.

BAR failed to score a point last season while Ferrari captured the constructors' championship.