Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn leaves F1 team

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) Monisha Kaltenborn left her position as team principal and chief executive officer of the Sauber Formula One team on Wednesday night, disrupting the team's preparations for this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Sauber says in a statement that Kaltenborn leaves by mutual consent ''due to diverging views of the future of the company.''

Her successor has not been announced.

The 46-year-old Kaltenborn joined Sauber in 2000 as head of its legal department and later became chief executive officer.

The announcement followed on from after another team statement shortly before, firmly denying reports of unfair treatment between the team's two drivers, the German Pascal Wehrlein and Swede Marcus Ericsson.

Ericsson has yet to score a point after seven F1 races, while the highly rated Wehrlein has secured four points after finishing eighth at the Spanish Grand Prix in May.

Sauber, which has Ferrari engines, sits ninth in the 10-team constructors' championship.