Monday marks the final day of Beat Zehnder's prominent management role at Sauber.
Starting Tuesday, April 1, Jonathan Wheatley, formerly Red Bull's sporting director, assumes the position of Sauber team principal, steering the Swiss outfit into its Audi-backed future.
For Zehnder, who most recently served as sporting director but is renowned as Sauber's team manager since Peter Sauber's Formula 1 inception in the 1990s, Wheatley's arrival signals the close of a significant chapter.
From Suzuka onward, he will no longer be part of the race team for the first time in decades, transitioning to a new position ambiguously titled 'director of signature programs and operations.'
Zehnder, 59, expressed a calm acceptance to Blick newspaper.
"We're all happy that Wheatley is coming," he told his friend and veteran F1 journalist Roger Benoit. "After 571 races, I won't be at the controls anymore.
"But I'll certainly still be completing tasks in the background."
Reflecting on his journey, Zehnder noted it began even before Peter Sauber launched his team in the early 1990s, "even though I wasn't interested in racing at all."
"I've been travelling for Sauber for 37 years now," he added. "But I won't miss Imola because the team will be celebrating its 600th grand prix. Who would have thought that when I went to South Africa in 1993?"
Benoit offered a heartfelt salute to his colleague. "The fans can thank Zehnder for persevering," he said.
"Without him, Sauber would barely exist. At one point, he even covered the team's hotel costs out of his own pocket."
