Sauber's Monisha Kaltenborn Becomes F1's First Female Principal

Sauber F1 Team Principal PETER SAUBER has "stepped down from his position and appointed Sauber F1 Team CEO MONISHA KALTENBORN as his successor," according to the APA. Kaltenborn has thereby become the first female team principal in F1 history. Sauber will continue his position as president of the board of all Sauber group companies. Sauber, who turns 69 on Saturday, founded the team more than 40 years ago. Almost 20 years ago, the team participated in its first F1 race. Kaltenborn, who has been the team's CEO since '10, joined the Sauber team in '00. The 41-year-old Kaltenborn, an Austrian citizen with Indian roots, also owns a third of the company shares (APA, 10/11). REUTERS' Alan Baldwin reported the "cigar-smoking Swiss [Sauber] said that he wanted to stand back and did not intend to be on the pit wall at the age of 70." Sauber said in a statement: "We decided a long time ago that Monisha would take over from me, but we left the timing open. Now is a good time for both of us, so this is the right moment to pass on the baton. There have been a number of races I've been unable to attend, most recently the Japanese Grand Prix, where the team put in an excellent performance. I'm in no doubt that Monisha has all the necessary skills to be an outstanding team principal, and I'm equally certain she will ensure that the values underpinning the company live on. That is very important to me" (REUTERS, 10/11).

A BIG JOB: Kaltenborn said, "Naturally I'm very aware of the major responsibility I have for Peter Sauber's racing team. He founded the team over 40 years ago, and in the spring it will be 20 years since Sauber lined up for its debut Formula One Grand Prix. I have set my sights high and am committed to taking the team forward as Peter Sauber would want and leading it on to success" (INDIATODAY.intoday.in, 10/11) Red Bull Team Principal CHRISTIAN HORNER said, "It's great for Monisha. She has done a super job at Sauber over the last few years, she has been effectively been performing that role without the job title. It's good for her and for women in motorsport. In our own team we have more and more women taking predominant roles. It is very healthy and should be applauded" (BBC, 10/11).