Kaltenborn parts ways with Sauber F1 team

Sauber has confirmed the departure of team principal Monisha Kaltenborn by mutual consent, and says that 'diverging views' regarding the Formula 1 team's future caused the split.

The outfit says that it will announce her successor "shortly", with the team's operations in Baku being overseen by team manager Beat Zehnder and technical director Jorg Zander.

A short statement attributed to chairman of the board Pascal Picci said: "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."

A second statement denied suggestions that one of the issues that led to Kaltenborn's departure was her opposition to a desire to favour Marcus Ericsson over Pascal Wehrlein.

"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 long-standing 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."