Changes at Sauber as Kaltenborn leaves team principal role
Monisha Kaltenborn’s departure from the team principal role at Sauber has finally been confirmed by the Swiss outfit, over 12 hours after the news broke and was confirmed by multiple sources.
As had been anticipated the statement said that “diverging views” about the future of the team had led to Kaltenborn’s immediate departure, while thanking her for her contribution.
The team also says that a successor will be named shortly. Former Force India, HRT and Caterham boss Colin Kolles has been mentioned as a possible candidate.
The statement, issued in the name of chairman Pascal Picci, read as follows: “Longbow Finance SA regrets to announce that, by mutual consent and due to diverging views of the future of the company, Monisha Kaltenborn will leave her positions with the Sauber Group effective immediately.
“We thank her for many years of strong leadership, great passion for the Sauber F1 Team and wish her the very best for the future. Her successor will be announced shortly; in the meantime we wish the team the best of luck in Azerbaijan.”
Meanwhile a separate statement denied suggestions in some media that the diverging views concerned parity of treatment between the drivers.
It read: “The owners and board of Sauber Motorsport AG take strong exception to speculative and widespread media reports today that our race drivers have not been, and are not being, treated equally.
“This is not only patently untrue, it would be contrary to the team’s absolute and longstanding commitment to fair competition. These reports, attributed to anonymous 'sources,' are highly detrimental to both Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein as well as to the management and all staff of the Sauber F1 Team.”
