There is still no announcement with regard to the role of Sauber team principal. The indications continue to suggest that the most likely candidate (or perhaps one should say the team’s target) is France’s Frédéric Vasseur, the former Renault team principal, who left the French operation over the winter, because of “a different vision with the management of the team”. Vasseur believes that a team principal can only be successful if there is a single vision for the organisation and Sauber will need to convince him that their’s is the right vision – which clearly was not the case with the recently-departed Monisha Kaltenborn.
Vasseur has been very successful on the junior formulae but still has a great deal on his plate. He runs all of ART Grand Prix’s activities in Formula 2 and GP3, while also putting together a team to run SMP Racing’s planned WEC programme in 2018, not to mention overseeing Spark Racing Technology, making all the chassis for the Formula E championship. Although he has a good solid support staff, notably ART Team Manager and Managing Director Sebastian Philippe, he is still a man with plenty on his plate and knows that working as an F1 team principal is a fulltime job.
Elsewhere, the word is that Hinwil has hired a new chief designer in Luca Furbatto, a graduate of the Politecnico di Torino, who started with Tyrrell in F1 from 1998, before moving to BAR, Toyota (where he worked with Sauber technical director Jorg Zander for a brief period) before joining McLaren for 10 years in 2001. He moved to Toro Rosso as chief designer for three years and in 2015 became chief designer of Manor. He is believed to have been recruited by Kaltenborn.
It is not clear how he will fit with Sauber’s chief designer Eric Gandelin, who has been in Hinwil since 2002, when he joined the Swiss team from Prost Grand Prix. In recent months, the team has also hired Ian Wright as its Head of Vehicle Performance. He is a former Mercedes and McLaren engineer.
It will be interesting to see how the technical side of Sauber develops from here.
joeblogsf1 
I still would like to apply for the team principal at Sauber.I did spend almost three decades in the automobile business, which is nearly three decades longer than Picci has. My hands on experience in F1 is nil, so I’m on the same plane as Picci there, so we should be a good fit! Joe, as you’ve mentioned, getting people to Hinwil isn’t always easy. For myself, living, these days playing music, and drinking in Key West agrees with me (Key West has the highest alcohol consumption rate of any city in the U.S. at 28 kegs per annum). Frankly, like everyone else, leaving my little tropical island for the mountains of Switzerland is not my idea of progress. However, we do live in the Twenty-First Century and holding daily meetings via Skype is more than plausible. There always is the six-hour time difference to deal with. However, again, being an active musician, when they open their doors at 8 am, it will be 2 am here and I’ll be finishing a gig, as well as my 17th beer, so it will be perfect for the morning meeting. Maybe I could play them a song to start the day off on the right foot? I play a little ditty on my guitar, and while they get their demitasse cups of espresso, I’m singing them a wake-up song, like my song “Dildo Key” and plowing down another beer in a lively bar, that has a fun crowd singing along with me. “Well you know you’ll have a good time, you will see if you’re hung at Dildo Key”. Maybe the engineers and directors in Hinwil would want to sing along via the Skype connection?That is providing I don’t fall off my bar stool. I do speak a smattering of German, though not that crazy Swiss dialect they speak there. I believe the off-color words are the same, however? With the possibilities that through dialect and slurring through drunken words, miss-communication could result with bulldozer shovels on the car’s as rear wings, I’m crossing my fingers that English will be a go with them? Perhaps on Friday mornings, the team could buy the bar a round or two as well? Now, I grant you, this is an entirely new concept and a quite radical one at that. Utilizing Skype in order to run the team out of a funky bar in Key West in the middle of the night, while playing fun songs, drinking and buying the bar crowd a few rounds, is not the current F1 norm. However, why not? I mean, hell, they give Monisha her walking papers and have Picci in control, a guy who not only doesn’t know F1 but doesn’t know a wheel-nut from a turbocharger either. I say “Let’s do it!”. One stipulation, however, I refuse to wear a tie. It’s against city ordinance in Key West for anyone to wear a tie I’ll drink to that! Cheers! .:-D
Sauber Key West? Sign me up!
Well, if we’re voting on this you can count on mine! Need an assistant? Had the greatest holiday of my life staying in Bahia Honda State Park years ago, catching lobster and repeatedly reading the only book I had, ‘The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin’ by Ouspensky. Good times, so count me in!
Best. Comment. Ever.
Ron, is that you?
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I remember answering a survey for another blog some time ago asking suggestions to improve the subjects being reported. All that was/is missing from that Blog I found here.
Thank you for the depth and different perspective, Signor Joe.
Some things never change. Multiple driver signings, multiple chief designer signings – when’s it going to stop? 🙂
Do some research on the drivers and you’ll find that it is not that simple.
“It will be interesting to see how the technical side of Sauber develops from here.”
I wasn’t sure what tone to read that in? Like, legitimately interesting, or “Hold my beer and watch this!” interesting?
Sauber should employ some “left field thinking” to use the vernacular. I would advocate they trawl the Paddock (judiciously) and select a seasoned F1 campaigner regardless of actual profession. They could/should select a seasoned and experienced member of the promotional sector or press corp as their new Principle. I feel to engage someone previously a professional observer/commentator in to an active role with a team would be an enlightening experience for the sport as a whole. This would provide a demonstrable acid test for the sports organising bodies a fresh opinion on the constant pressures F1 places on its competitors, those that take a part every Sunday afternoon. It would also offer Liberty Media a common link: The promotional or the media. Would there be any takers?
I’m surprised no one seems more interested in Monisha Kaltenborn’s future in F1?
Whenever attending the Friday press conference, she always appeared to be the best informed participant, and the most skillful at addressing precarious public relations issues – compared to certain folks from more prestigious teams.
She never shied away from being the public face of Sauber, in both good and more challenging times. Unlike teams sending a proxy who is not shy to explain why they are neither suited nor qualified to answer specific questions – Monisha always turned up and impressed me with her candour and professionalism.
She provided serious answers to serious questions, whilst accurately reading the tone of the cheeky enquiries some mischievous journalists inevitably ask.
I sincerely hope she returns to the sport in a senior position. It seems shocking that she felt forced out, having been the driving force that recently saved the Sauber team.
I especially liked how she held her own, if not out-performing her male peers. The sport needs such strong female role models. I’m not convinced Claire Williams can further that cause – every second sentence contains the word “Frank”, and I’ve no interest in the potential prospect of her partner proposing marriage, nor her pregnancy – though maybe it’s frivolous questions from lazy hacks that provoke questions regarding the latter!
I sincerely hope Monisha Kaltenborn is soon able to return to a prominent position in F1, in a role befitting her skillset and experience.
My sentiments as well. With her background in law and her wealth of F1 experience it would not surprise me to see her pop up in connection with the rumoured Chinese involvement if she thinks that it has a good chance of becoming a reality. Even if it isn’t a goer she could still probably make a few good fees advising them (discreetly in the background) until the money runs out or she gets another job if F1 or elsewhere in the motor-sport business.
I second what you just wrote.
From what I have read and heard Mr. Frédéric Vasseur is not the kind of guy to favor a lesser driver because the money people want it that way. I wonder if Frédéric Vasseur is exactly the wrong guy for this job if the rules are to favor a lesser driver.
Fred is anything but stupid
Maybe that is why employing him is taking so long?
If he joins at all
Vasseur has been seen at Hinwil shortly after Kaltenborns exit, visiting the facilities and handshaking. But he is reluctant because of his other jobs.
Yes, Fred did visit Hinwil when the F1 circus was away in Baku. It seems he is reluctant to join, but I believe they are still pursuing him, if only because they don’t have a clue what to do otherwise.
Word is that they really want which is comprehensible but he wants to think it twice because of Sparks and SMP. That may be the reason why it’s all quiet at the moment.
Well, it appears that we are starting to have a Sauber Key West consortium coming together! Joe, we’re naturally hoping you’ll join the party… er….group!