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Sauber F1 drivers still in the dark over who will be new team boss

Sauber Formula 1 drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Marcus Ericsson say they are still in the dark over who will replace former team principal Monisha Kaltenborn.

The Swiss team is yet to confirm a replacement for Kaltenborn, who stepped down as team principal and chief executive officer in the week before the previous race in Azerbaijan.

Former Renault chief Frederic Vasseur, ex-Manor racing director Dave Ryan, former Manor sporting director Graeme Lowdon and ex-McLaren CEO Jost Capito have all been linked to the role.

Wehrlein said he had received no communication over Kaltenborn's successor.

"Of course it's different without a team boss, and Monisha especially," he added.

"If there are some decisions to be made Beat [Zehnder, team manager] or Jorg [Zander, technical director] will decide.

"It will be the same this weekend until we have the new team boss."

What really happened at Sauber

Ericsson said "in the very short-term nothing has changed really" since Kaltenborn left, and the search for her successor was not his problem.

"As a driver it's important for me to focus on my things," he said.

"What's happening above me, I don't gain anything putting energy or stuff into that.

"I was in the factory to have meetings with the engineers and the aero guys to focus on the things I am involved in and can make a difference in.

"Hopefully soon we have a new person in this position that can put their touch on the team. That would be great."

DRIVERS SPLIT OVER BAKU RESULT

Despite Kaltenborn's departure surprising Sauber's drivers in the build-up to Baku, Wehrlein scored the team's second points finish of the season with 10th place.

It follows an eighth-place finish in Spain in May, and Wehrlein said his results were "definitely better than what we expected".

By comparison Ericsson, who was running 10th late on when Sauber moved Wehrlein ahead of him to cover off a late charge from Stoffel Vandoorne, said he thought it was the wrong call.

"I didn't agree with it because I thought we could have kept position," said Ericsson, whose last points finish was in the 2015 Italian Grand Prix.

"It's frustrating because it's been a long time since I was in the points and I've had quite a few P11s now."

Ericsson added that this weekend's Red Bull Ring would be the first proper test of the upgrade Sauber has run in Monaco, Canada and Azerbaijan.

"It will be quite interesting to see on a more normal track where it's not bumpy and walls everywhere, if this package is working a bit better than we've seen the last few races," he said.

Zdroj: autosport.com