F1: Albers steps down from Caterham role

Ex-Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers has resigned from his position as Caterham team principal with immediate effect.

Albers took the helm of the squad in July following its sale to a group of investors advised by Colin Kolles, a former team boss of Albers during his racing career.

In a statement released by Caterham just after the Italian Grand Prix finish, Albers said his sudden departure was for "private reasons." He will be replaced by Manfredi Ravetto, who was previously Albers' deputy and general manager.

"Over the past months I have dedicated all my energy to ensure the takeover of the team would go as smoothly as possible and to achieve the best possible result for our investors, sponsors and all the people involved with the Caterham F1 team," said Albers. "As such I worked tirelessly to reconstruct the team while, at the same time, making technical updates on the car. In doing this we created both a better foundation for the team's future and achieved significant improvements on the speed of the car.

"Due to private reasons and in order to be able to spend more time with my family, I will resign from my position as CEO of the Caterham F1 team. I wish the team all the best in the future."

Ravetto thanked Albers for his contribution during his two-month stint.

"Christijan has been an asset to the team since the moment he joined," said Ravetto. "It's been a challenging last few months, but we have moved forward together and we want to thank him for his hard work and commitment to the team. We wish him the best for the future."