Ericsson: “A paid pilot label that does not match reality”

While pilots of the caliber ofEsteban Ocon and Stoffel Vandoorne see their future in F1 being uncertain for 2019, Marcus Ericsson enjoys an enviable position at Sauber F1 Team with whom he has been playing since 2015 after a year as a rookie at Caterham.

The 28-year-old Swede notably has the advantage of benefiting from significant financial support having directly invested in the Swiss team.

“I have a label of “paid” pilot which does not reflect reality, but people think what they want. I managed to convince people to believe in me and I don't see what the harm is.", Marcus Ericsson told AUTOhebdo.

“I think it’s difficult everywhere. I was lucky to have a father who supported me a lot. He was a mechanic and he struggled to find the money he needed. The family was not wealthy, and he worked day and night. He took the Van and we went running in Italy. On our scale, it cost a fortune. If I hadn't been spotted by Kenny Bräck (Indy 500 winner in 1999, editor's note) during a race in Gothenburg, it would have stopped very quickly. Then, it was my results that allowed me to obtain the necessary funding to access F1”, added the Scandinavian.

Marcus Ericsson has already scored four times this season, but he only has 6 points in the Championship compared to 13 for his teammate Charles Leclerc which still overshadows it a little. His best Grand Prix result was an 8th place at the Australian GP.

Discover the full interview with Marcus Ericsson and the analysis of the Italian GP carried out by our special correspondents in issue 2181 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on newsstands.