Q: Monisha, Sauber is now without Sauber - what does that mean? Monisha Kaltenborn: Ha, Sauber is definitely not without Sauber. Sauber is still carrying the name - because for us Sauber is a brand. We are the fourth-oldest brand in Formula One today, so that is a lot to be proud of. It is a huge legacy - so we continue to be that - and from that perspective there is no change. What is correct is that the founder of the team and the company - Peter Sauber - has retired from his functions, but importantly that the brand is there. Q: Will there be a double-barrelled name like Sauber-XYZ in the near future? MK: Well, if I remember the rules correctly on the chassis side, I think that there will not be a name behind Sauber - but I do certainly hope that there will be a name in front as a title sponsor! (laughs) Q: How far along are you with that? MK: We are working very hard on that. And that is not easy, but if you can again show stability and confirm that to potential partners, that is in itself a big help. Q: The understanding is that the new owners are backers of Marcus Ericsson - even if Marcus pretends he has no idea about it. But the vicinity between the offices of Longbow Finance and (Ericsson backers) Tetra Laval is too close to be accidental… MK: Well, our new owner is Longbow Finance. They are a company engaged in financial activities - and typically the investments are managing investment portfolios and doing private equity…

Our driver decisions will be taken in the way they are usually taken and we will announce when we have come to a conclusion. Monisha Kaltenborn

Q: They are a very private equity firm, with no names revealed from their management board - and not even an internet presence… MK: …private equity - whatever it is. They have been active for more than 20 years in this business, so that should be long enough. Q: But will that mean that Marcus Ericsson will have a drive ‘forever’? Until his pension? MK: Well, one thing has nothing to do with the other. Our driver decisions will be taken in the way they are usually taken and we will announce when we have come to a conclusion. Q: What made Sauber so attractive to Longbow Finance - and not to previous interested parties? The team is currently bottom of the standings… MK: The answer has to be in view of where they plan to go, and that explains the reason in what they saw in us to be able to go there. Their clear intention is first of all to stabilise the situation - stabilise the group - and then strengthen and grow our engineering services. To broaden the third-party business with the services from our engineering side - to commercialise the technologies that we have, the know-how that we have. We have been doing this a long time - and that’s where they are seeing a bigger potential. To see how one Swiss company interacts with another Swiss company in high-tech based in Switzerland - technology that is unique in Switzerland. This part is not dependant on where we stand in Formula One. Q: These topics were extensively discussed before the take-over? MK: Yes, we have discussed that. And for us together the engineering services - the high-end technological elements - are key elements in our strategy together. Q: What did you offer them precisely to get them hooked? MK: Everybody knows the kind of infrastructure that we have. We are very much leading in the aerodynamic services, in simulation and software development - and in 3D we are also very strong. That can be taken to other racing series - or even in other areas where you can apply these procedures outside the world of motorsport. We are already out there in the market with certain things - and that is where Longbow Finance sees the potential.

Now that we have a stable basis it is much easier to move back to where we belong: in the midfield. Finishing in P11 is no option! Monisha Kaltenborn