● Sauber director Pascal Picci, below, – who took over as chairman and president when Peter Sauber retired – has resigned, citing a disagreement with team principal Frédéric Vasseur over driver choice and his management. Picci was reportedly not in favour of hiring Valtteri Bottas and wished to retain a link to Ferrari’s Driving Academy roster.
“I am sorry that Antonio [Giovinazzi] is no longer here though I am happy that [Guanyu] Zhou will arrive,” is how he worded it. Picci was also disappointed by the decision by main shareholder Finn Rausing not to sell to the Andretti Group, saying: “He is free to make choices, he represents the shareholders and is a reliable person.