Sauber has confirmed that Monisha Kaltenborn has left the team with immediate effect, with her successor due to be announced "shortly."
Kaltenborn’s future was cast into doubt on Wednesday morning when rumours surfaced that she had departed the team, having held the role of Team Principal since 2012.
Sauber declined to comment before issuing two statements in quick succession on Wednesday night, denying it had favoured one driver over the other, before confirming Kaltenborn’s exit.
“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,” read a statement on behalf of Pascal Picci, Chairman of the Board.
“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."
Shortly before announcing Kaltenborn’s departure, Picci issued a statement denying that the squad had been favouring one driver, following speculation in a handful of media outlets earlier in the day.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Sauber holds ninth in the standings, courtesy of the four points scored by Wehrlein in Spain.
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