Sauber F1: The best motivation for 2019
8TH PLACE IN THE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP Charles Leclerc said goodbye to Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 in Abu Dhabi with a seventh place, Marcus Ericsson retired. The jump away from the bottom of the Teams' Championship standings is the reward for the work in Hinwil. At the start of the season in mid-March in Australia, the two Sauber-Ferrari C37s led the field at the [...]
At the start of the season in mid-March in Australia, the two Sauber-Ferrari C37s trailed the field on the first day of practice, and then again in Bahrain and China. The 21st and final Grand Prix of 2018 in Abu Dhabi was, like the races before it, a reflection of the steady progress made by Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 throughout the year.
Charles Leclerc has been at the front of the competitive midfield of late. The Monegasque once again made it into Q3 in Abu Dhabi and took seventh place in the race. According to him, it sounds almost unbelievable that he could have done even better.
Marcus Ericsson retired from his last Formula 1 race for the time being (if he does not return as a reserve driver in 2019) with a technical defect on his way to scoring points.
Better than in 2013
With 39 championship points, Leclerc is 13th in the drivers' championship, while Ericsson is 17th with nine points. For the first time in the history of Formula 1, none of the (ten) GP teams changed a driver during the season and everyone scored points. In the past, these were only awarded to the top six and not half of the field...
Sauber F1 brought up the rear in the Constructors' Championship last year with five points. In the past Formula 1 season, the Hinwil-based team with title sponsor Alfa Romeo achieved its best result since 2013.
Thanks to the whole team
Back then, Sauber was the seventh-best team with 57 points, leaving Toro Rosso, Williams, Marussia and Caterham behind. The last two constructors no longer exist. Toro Rosso-Honda and Williams-Mercedes - who finished fifth in the 2017 World Championship - have now lost out again after five years.
The French team boss is correspondingly proud of his team from Switzerland, which is made up of several nations.
Frédéric Vasseur: "It's a great feeling to finish the World Championship in eighth position. Especially when you look back at where we came from. Our progress has been enormous and is down to the work of the whole team at the track and in the factory. Our thanks go to them all. Charles and Marcus played a big part, they worked really well together and pushed each other to perform at their best. We wish them all the best for the future. Our goals are now set higher and are the right motivation for all departments in Hinwil."
