2014
On 21 January 2014, it was announced that Van der Garde had joined Sauber F1 Team as a reserve and test driver for the 2014 season.
 He took part in the first free practice session in seven of the season's Grands Prix in this role.

During events that became public in 2015, Van der Garde has claimed that, although in June 2014 he was guaranteed a position as one of the Sauber's two nominated race drivers for the 2015 Formula One season, by November 2014, the team informed him that he was no longer required.
The team instead announced Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr as their race drivers for the 2015 season, causing Van der Garde to file an international arbitration complaint with the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution in December 2014.

2015
On 2 March 2015, the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution released a partial award upholding Van der Garde's contract and ordering Sauber to "refrain from taking any action the effect of which would be to deprive Mr. van der Garde of his entitlement to participate in the 2015 Formula One Season as one of Sauber's two nominated race drivers."

On 5 March 2015, through his management company, Van der Garde then filed an application in an Australian Court to enforce the Swiss award.
In this instance, Australia was the appropriate jurisdiction as it was the location of the first F1 Grand Prix for the season.
The court permitted Sauber's new drivers, Ericsson and Nasr (who were not parties to the Swiss arbitration), to be represented and heard.

On 11 March 2015, Van der Garde obtained Court orders enforcing his Swiss award thus compelling Sauber to permit Van der Garde to participate at the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne, with F1 sessions scheduled from Friday, 13 to Sunday, 15 March.
Sauber's response was to appeal that decision and publicly announce that they would not compromise the safety of the team or other drivers by putting Van der Garde in the car, because the Sauber C34 chassis had  been tailored to fit Ericsson and Nasr who, through their lawyers, also joined in the appeal.

The appeal was heard the following day, on Thursday, 12 March 2015, at which time Sauber also argued that Van der Garde's contract had been terminated by the team in February with the approval of the FIA's Contract Recognition Board and that Van der Garde violated the confidentiality clauses of the contract by discussing it with the media.
Lawyers representing Ericsson and Nasr further argued that Van der Garde had not followed due process by failing to give prior notice of his legal action until after it was instituted.
That appeal, however, was dismissed with the court upholding the previous order for Sauber to allow Van der Garde be allowed to participate in that weekend's race.
Further, the court adjourned the hearing until the following day to hear submissions on contempt of court proceedings brought by Van der Garde's lawyers against Sauber's team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn.

Due to the risk of having its assets seized for disobeying court orders, Sauber opted to abort participation in Friday morning's first practice session for the Australian Grand Prix.
Nevertheless, based on media speculation about Bernie Ecclestone's intervention to avoid further negative publicity on the sport, Ericsson and Nasr did participate in Friday afternoon's second practice session.

On Saturday, 14 March 2015, the dispute reached a temporary resolution thanks to Van der Garde announcing that he would forego racing in Melbourne, with a view to finding a more permanent solution in the future.
The Sauber team and its new drivers for 2015, Ericsson and Nasr, were thus able to complete the Australian Grand Prix's Saturday qualifying session and Sunday race.

On 18 March 2015, Van der Garde confirmed that he and Sauber had reached a settlement after he relinquished, once and for all, his rights to race in F1 with the team.
In return for termination of the contract by mutual consent, it is reported that Van der Garde received compensation in the amount of USD$16 million.
The controversy, however, continued tha
2014
On 21 January 2014, it was announced that Van der Garde had joined Sauber F1 Team as a reserve and test driver for the 2014 season.  He took part in the first free practice session in seven of the season's Grands Prix in this role.
During events that became public in 2015, Van der Garde has claimed that, although in June 2014 he was guaranteed a position as one of the Sauber's two nominated race drivers for the 2015 Formula One season, by November 2014, the team informed him that he was no longer required. The team instead announced Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr as their race drivers for the 2015 season, causing Van der Garde to file an international arbitration complaint with the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution in December 2014.
2015
On 2 March 2015, the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution released a partial award upholding Van der Garde's contract and ordering Sauber to "refrain from taking any action the effect of which would be to deprive Mr. van der Garde of his entitlement to participate in the 2015 Formula One Season as one of Sauber's two nominated race drivers."
On 5 March 2015, through his management company, Van der Garde then filed an application in an Australian Court to enforce the Swiss award. In this instance, Australia was the appropriate jurisdiction as it was the location of the first F1 Grand Prix for the season. The court permitted Sauber's new drivers, Ericsson and Nasr (who were not parties to the Swiss arbitration), to be represented and heard.
On 11 March 2015, Van der Garde obtained Court orders enforcing his Swiss award thus compelling Sauber to permit Van der Garde to participate at the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne, with F1 sessions scheduled from Friday, 13 to Sunday, 15 March. Sauber's response was to appeal that decision and publicly announce that they would not compromise the safety of the team or other drivers by putting Van der Garde in the car, because the Sauber C34 chassis had  been tailored to fit Ericsson and Nasr who, through their lawyers, also joined in the appeal.
The appeal was heard the following day, on Thursday, 12 March 2015, at which time Sauber also argued that Van der Garde's contract had been terminated by the team in February with the approval of the FIA's Contract Recognition Board and that Van der Garde violated the confidentiality clauses of the contract by discussing it with the media. Lawyers representing Ericsson and Nasr further argued that Van der Garde had not followed due process by failing to give prior notice of his legal action until after it was instituted. That appeal, however, was dismissed with the court upholding the previous order for Sauber to allow Van der Garde be allowed to participate in that weekend's race. Further, the court adjourned the hearing until the following day to hear submissions on contempt of court proceedings brought by Van der Garde's lawyers against Sauber's team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn.
Due to the risk of having its assets seized for disobeying court orders, Sauber opted to abort participation in Friday morning's first practice session for the Australian Grand Prix. Nevertheless, based on media speculation about Bernie Ecclestone's intervention to avoid further negative publicity on the sport, Ericsson and Nasr did participate in Friday afternoon's second practice session.
On Saturday, 14 March 2015, the dispute reached a temporary resolution thanks to Van der Garde announcing that he would forego racing in Melbourne, with a view to finding a more permanent solution in the future. The Sauber team and its new drivers for 2015, Ericsson and Nasr, were thus able to complete the Australian Grand Prix's Saturday qualifying session and Sunday race.
On 18 March 2015, Van der Garde confirmed that he and Sauber had reached a settlement after he relinquished, once and for all, his rights to race in F1 with the team. In return for termination of the contract by mutual consent, it is reported that Van der Garde received compensation in the amount of USD$16 million. The controversy, however, continued tha
Giedo van der Garde