Sauber owners have strongly refuted reports of favouritism towards Marcus Ericsson as the Swiss team battles with disagreements at senior levels.

On Wednesday, it was revealed Monisha Kaltenborn has departed from her role as team principal after five years and a long association with a team before that.

A statement from chairman Pascal Picci, who joined following the takeover over the Hinwil-based outfit last summer, would confirm Kaltenborn's exit, claiming: "Longbow Finance SA regrets to announce that, by mutual consent and due to diverging views on the future of the company, Monisha Kaltenborn will leave her positions with the Sauber Group effective immediately.

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"We thank her for many years of strong leadership, great passion for the Sauber F1 Team and wish her the very best for the future.

"Her successor will be announced shortly. In the meantime, we wish the team the best of luck in Azerbaijan.”

Force India owner Vijay Mallya believes the team's performance at the Canadian Grand Prix vindicated his pre-season ambitions to challenge the top three teams.

2017 has been a very positive year for the Silverstone-based outfit, currently holding the same fourth place in the Constructors' championship they managed last year by a 41-point margin over Toro Rosso.

Though the eventual fifth and sixth in Montreal wasn't Force India's best result of the year, with fourth and fifth in Spain having that distinction, it was certainly their most competitive as they battled with Daniel Ricciardo and the two Ferraris throughout the 70 laps.

“At the start of the year, when we launched the VJM10, I said we wanted to carry on where we ended 2016 as the fourth-placed team, I even dared to dream that we could look ahead of us towards the top three," Mallya commented.

“I think our performance in Montreal showed that such ambitions were not too outlandish. To be fighting with Red Bulls and Ferraris feels pretty good. We are not consistently at their level, but on our day we can fight with the top teams.

“It’s a credit to everybody at Force India that we have come away from the first seven races with 71 points – a fantastic achievement.”

It was also an excellent response to the team's troubles in Monaco, the only race where Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon haven't scored this season, and with good memories of the podium the Mexican scored in Azerbaijan in 2016, on a circuit similar to Montreal, expectations are high.

“There is a lot of optimism ahead of this weekend,” Mallya admitted. “Last year Baku turned out to be a good race for the team and we believe we can deliver another strong performance this year.

“The progress we’ve made with the VJM10 since the start of the season has been considerable and we have brought developments to the car at every race so far. All the hard work is paying off and I’m proud of our results.”

Perez agreed, adding: “I feel positive after Montreal, as the car was quick and we were competitive. It was always going to be one of our best circuits of the year, but we still had to deliver

“It’s a good sign for Baku – another track with long straights and big braking zones.

“I always enjoy street tracks and the team has done a fantastic job to develop the car during the last few races. I think we will be in good shape this weekend too.”

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting has announced updated boundaries in which slower cars will be shown the blue flags and asked to move out of the way of the leaders.

At the start of the year, the boundary in which a backmarker was asked to pull aside to be lapped was reduced from 1.5 seconds to just one second, following complaints from those slower teams that their own races were being too heavily compromised.

Now, however, it is the front-running drivers, notably Max Verstappen after China and Kimi Raikkonen post-Monaco, who are unhappy claiming with the new cars this season it is very difficult to get within the one-second window to trigger the blue flag situation.

Ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, a note sent by the FIA race director to the teams with the stewards meeting in the middle regarding the two boundaries with blue flags now to be shown when a lead car is within 1.2 seconds of a backmarker.

The impact of the change will be evaluated with a decision on whether or not to retain the new guidelines coming before the following race in Austria.

Sauber and team principal Monisha Kaltenborn have decided to part ways ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it is being reported.

Kaltenborn became the first female team boss in 2012, two years after helping founder Peter Sauber rebuild the team after buying it back from BMW.

Her tenure has been mixed, however, with two initial strong years thanks to Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg, but growing financial problems have seen Sauber slip to te back of the grid, failing to score a point in 2014  and relying on one result from Felipe Nasr at last year's Brazilian Grand Prix to avoid a repeat.

There was also a debacle at the beginning of the 2015 season when former Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde took the team to court in Australia as he had what was deemed a binding contract to race with Sauber, only for the team to employ Marcus Ericsson with the Dutchman later reaching a settlement

2016 was a better year for the Hinwil-based squad off the track as they relieved the financial strain following a takeover by Longbow Finance, which saw Kaltenborn remain in her position, and the team is now building for the future.

The news of Monisha's departure has yet to be confirmed by Sauber themselves, however, former HRT boss Colin Kolles is already being tipped as her replacement.

FIA president Jean Todt would be open to increasing the size of the current Formula 1 grid amid speculation of interest from potential new teams.

In recent days it was revealed a Chinese consortium is pushing for a future entry and has already hired former Manor employees as well as approached engineers at Red Bull. On Wednesday, another step was taken with a company in Britain registering under the name of China F1 Racing Team Ltd.

Managing director of motorsport, Ross Brawn also claimed 10 parties had made contact regarding one of the current two open places available, following the collapse of those teams that joined the grid in 2010 but were reliant on F1's new bosses implementing a fairer revenue distribution between the teams.

Asked whether the governing body was considering any expansion, Todt said: "At the moment we have 10 teams and the idea is to have up to 12 teams, so if we have one or two strong newcomers it could be possible.

"When we feel it is time, we will be able to make a tender."

The Chinese interest is one of the numerous potential future F1 projects being reported with both Porsche and Audi believed to be contemplating at least becoming engine suppliers, while Ferrari has previously touted the possible rebirth of Alfa Romeo.

"First we need to check ourselves the request, going through a kind of audit to see who are the potential buyers,” Todt continued, explaining the process.

"If it's a big manufacturer, it's easy, if it's a privateer, you need to be more careful.

"And then, once you are sure that there is a real interest, and once you're sure that people are able, like it was the case with Haas, for example, then we make tender.

The Frenchman also ended talk of a new team in 2018 when asked, claiming: "No, it would be foolish to think that a new team would be ready in eight months, even less."

Ross Brawn, managing director of motorsport in the Formula One Group, believes all proposed future changes must be carefully evaluated before being submitted for implementation. 

The former F1 team boss was drafted in by new commercial rights holder Liberty Media to help shape the sport's future with the American leadership looking to implement drastic changes from the era under Bernie Ecclestone into the next Concorde Agreement, which is due in 2020.

Over the years, several rule changes introduced without much pre-planning have affected the sports negatively, therefore, when considering a different approach, Brawn believes all outcomes must be taken into considerations in collaboration with the governing body, the FIA, and its president Jean Todt, who worked with Brawn at Ferrari.

“We want to make sure that when we do come forward with our ideas, that they are very well thought out and all the various elements have been properly sorted, discussed and are in place, so we have a complete proposal to take the sport forward,” the former Honda and Mercedes team boss said.

"It's got to be in co-operation with the FIA, the FIA are the regulators of our sport and they are the final arbiter of what goes on in the sport.

"We want to supplement and support those activities and make proposals that we think are good for the sport."

One major area that will see much debate in the months and years to come is finance, with Brawn and the other F1 bosses wanting to introduce cost-cutting measures and address the inequality between the big and small teams in regards to revenue distribution.

Concerning how the teams will be approached in the discussions, Brawn explained: "It is a circular process. To have a discussion about remuneration with the teams is difficult if you don't present both sides.

"We've got to present how we see the sport going forward in terms of the investment that the teams make because it's substantial."

Despite the difficult conversations that will be had, Brawn was confident of one thing.

"I think it's fair to say that there's not a team in F1 that wouldn't welcome a reduction in costs,” he said.

Could Mercedes have an all-new line-up in 2018? It's unlikely but both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas' futures are yet to be decided.

In the case of Hamilton, he has claimed he has the power to decide when he wishes to bring his Formula 1 career to an end and that, if he so wished, that could be the end of this year.

It is well-known the Briton is keen to do other projects away from F1, with fashion and music both passions of his and having already matched so many accomplishments of his hero Ayrton Senna, he has also previously stated there is nothing left for him to achieve in the sport.

"My destiny is in my own hands," the 32-year-old, who joined the F1 grid with McLaren 10 years ago, told the FIA magazine Auto.

"I can decide to stop at the end of this year. Does that mean my legacy is less great than it would be if I stop in five years' time? Who's to say?".

"I don't like to plan for it because I don't know what's around the corner, I don't know what I'm going to do."

Perhaps after the controversial events in Abu Dhabi last year it may have been a consideration for Hamilton, before world champion Nico Rosberg elected himself to call it a day, but now it does seem the three-time world champion is enjoying F1 a lot more as he battles Sebastian Vettel for the 2017 title.

"Yeah, right now it's solely the competition," Lewis claimed.

"It's also easier battling another team. When it is all within a team it's just like a big vortex and depending on the tension it gets stronger and stronger. That is actually not really what a team is built to be.

"Now having another team (to fight) we are pulling together with that same drive -- it's just so much more powerful, it's really awesome."

As for team-mate Valtteri Bottas, his fate is in the hands of Mercedes bosses, after only joining on a one year deal at the start of this season.

There have also been rumours linking Vettel to the Brackley-based team for next year, but the Finn's former manager Toto Wolff insists they are pleased with how he is performing.

"The call he received was pretty late, he's driving against one of the best driver's in F1 that has been with the team in his fifth season and he's had a pole position, won a race in Sochi in a very dominant way," the Austrian commented.

"He's also had the more difficult races but overall his performance on-track and the way he has integrated with the team was very positive."

Wolff would acknowledge Bottas is in an "uncomfortable situation" regarding his future, but insisted: "When we decided to make Valtteri the offer, he knew that we would be taking our time for the decision going forward because the driver market is more open in 2018 and beyond, 2018 and 2019.

"He knew that, so that's why we will not rush into a decision but continue to work with him and see how that pans out. But generally, the view of the team is that he's done a good job.”

Motorsport boss Toto Wolff has claimed the Mercedes car is the "best on the grid" despite its niggling issues ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The defending world champions overcame one of their most difficult weekends in recent memory in Monaco to claim a commanding one-two finish in Canada at the last race, a result that moved Mercedes back to the top of the Constructors' championship and reinvigorated Lewis Hamilton's title fight with Sebastian Vettel. 

The three-time champion himself declared Montreal a "huge blow" to Ferrari but, looking ahead to Baku, Wolff claims nothing will change in the team's approach despite the pendulum of momentum currently going in their favour. 

“In this season, where it's so close, you need to take it one race at a time and try to have the best package at each race - chassis, power unit, and drivers, this is how we are approaching it and that's the only way,” the Austrian said.

“It's a long championship, there will be weekends that are good and ones that are not so good. It's about making the best out of it each time - maximising the points that are on the table during the difficult times and bringing the trophies home when everything does come together.

“In terms of the car, we've joked about it being a bit of a diva but it's a good car, though sometimes it can be difficult,” he continued.

“This is something we have to accept so that we can understand and appreciate the many positive characteristics that it has. I believe our car is the fastest on the grid and I wouldn't want any other.”

Wolff also praised the work done by his drivers, with the much-improved atmosphere within Mercedes something that has been well-documented in recent weeks.

“Lewis is in the best place I have seen him during any of the last five years since he joined the team,” he stated. “Not only because he had a great weekend in Montreal - but because he is coping so well with the difficult days.

“This is what the very best are made of. When the fight gets tough, they get over it quickly and maximise their opportunities.

“Likewise, Valtteri is in a strong position. You would never think he joined the team very last minute over the winter and after seven Grand Prix’s he has exceeded even our expectations.

“He's been on pole, won a race and challenged Lewis on both Saturday and Sundays. For him, it's now just about putting it all together every single weekend and I have no doubt he will do that.”

Mercedes have looked to quell talk of a potential engine deal with McLaren in 2018 by insisting Honda's continued participation in Formula 1 is more important at this point.

There has been growing speculation the British team is seeking to end its current partnership with the Japanese manufacturer as problems with their power unit persist and this year have left McLaren bottom of the Constructors' championship, as the only team yet to score a point.

Conversations have also continually been seen between McLaren and Mercedes chiefs, initially believed to be part of a potential collaboration between the current F1 world champions and Honda to help fast track development but more recently likely to be about a potential return to their former supplier, of whom they left at the end of 2014.

Asked directly about the ongoing situation while at an FIA event in Geneva, Mercedes motorsport chief Toto Wolff commented: "There's quite some momentum in the market at the moment, which we watch from the sidelines," he said. "This is a position that we have put ourselves in."

On a potential deal with McLaren, he added: “This is not our priority at the moment. First, we would like to see Honda and McLaren sorting out their relationship, we wouldn't want to interfere in that stage.

“The main priority is for Honda to stay in the sport and for Honda to have a functioning relationship with its customers. That’s why at the moment we do not wish to dive into this topic.”

There has yet to be any talk of Honda considering their future in F1, as they will supply Sauber from 2018. Reports earlier this week mentioned Williams as a potential alternative if McLaren should end their partnership but that link has since been denied by the Grove-based team.

Former Formula 1 driver Rubens Barrichello believes the strong return to form at Ferrari is due to the Maranello team re-establishing the strengths that made them so successful in the early 2000's. 

The Brazilian was alongside Michael Schumacher during the Scuderia's golden era but this year marks a decade since Ferrari last claimed a Drivers' championship, with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

That may change this year, however, with Sebastian Vettel leading the standings by 12 points from Lewis Hamilton and, speaking at the Le Mans 24 Hours this past weekend, Barrichello revealed his theory on how Ferrari became competitive once again.

“It's almost like they had to repackage and go back a few years, to understand what made them fast when we were there," the most experienced driver in F1 history said. "What made us fast was just the translation from the tunnel to the track.

"They would say 'OK, now you're going to have a little more entry speed in the corner' and it was amazing – how the hell did they know these things so well?

“The car did whatever they said. Because of a lack of testing, they knew the car was good and off they went. If you have the right group coming together, you can win.”

Barrichello also welcomed the return of Ross Brawn, who he drove under while at Ferrari and Brawn GP later on, to F1, believing the Briton is the right man in the right position after being appointing the managing director of motorsport in the Formula One Group at the start of this year

“I think he gets on with it anyway and it's easy for him to talk to the right people and be more practical," he said.

There was one personal favour the now-45-year-old had of Brawn, however: "I told him already, he should give me a pass for life," he said, "I don't need to ask. After 19 years I should have a pass for my life.”