Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team finishes with Charles Leclerc back in 7th place

Weather: sunny/cloudy and dry, 21-25°C air, 35-45°C track

The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team leaves Sao Paulo with a superb race by Charles Leclerc and a consolidated 8th position in the Constructors Championship. A strong qualifying session, the best of the season for the Swiss Team, saw Marcus Ericsson and Charles Leclerc taking the start from the 6th and 7th spots on the grid, determined to score points. Everything was in place for a strong race, but unfortunately a heated start to the Brazilian Grand Prix saw two different races unfold for the two drivers. While Charles Leclerc had a strong start, gaining positions on the opening lap, Marcus Ericsson faced a different set of challenges.

Eager to extract the most of his strong position, the Swedish driver gave his all to retain it, however, had a difficult fight ahead of him. After a contact with another car on the opening laps, his floor and front wing were damaged. Despite the team calling him back to the pits in an attempt to fix his car, he eventually had to a retire from the race.

Leclerc, on the other hand, gave yet another strong and consistent performance, fighting at the top of the midfield for the entire duration of the race. Finishing in 7th position for the third time this season, the Monegasque rookie has collected another six points, advancing to 14th position in the Driver’s Championship with a total of 33 points to his name.

The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team holds a total of 42 points and is currently in 8th place in the Constructors’ Championship. Marcus Ericsson is in 17th place in the Drivers’ Championship, holding a total of nine points for the season.

Marcus Ericsson (car number 9): C37 (Chassis 05/Ferrari) Result: DNF. Start on supersoft tyres, after 18 laps change to medium tyres “A disappointing end to such a great weekend. I had contact with another car just after the start, and after that, the car was difficult to drive. The balance was different to the rest of the weekend and the damage became worse and worse. We had to retire from the race – a shame, especially after such a fantastic qualifying, but we will come back stronger at the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.”

Charles Leclerc (car number 16): C37 (Chassis 02/Ferrari) Result: 7th. Start on supersoft tyres, after 35 laps change to medium tyres “I am very happy with the race; finishing in 7th place is a positive result that we can be satisfied with. It was fun to drive on this track and adding more points to our tally to solidify our 8th position in the Constructors’ Championship is a positive feeling for the whole team. I look forward to seeing what we can do in Abu Dhabi.”

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal and CEO Sauber Motorsport AG: “Overall, this was a positive weekend for our team. Both drivers gave strong performances in qualifying and started the race at the top of the midfield. Charles finishing the race in 7th place is a good step forward in consolidating P8 in the championship. We do however leave Sao Paulo with mixed feelings, as Marcus had to retire from the race. After a contact with another car, there was damage to his floor and front wing, which made it impossible for him to finish. Nevertheless, our pace is good, and we are fighting for positions in the championship. Our progress continues, and this is a reward for the hard work done at the track and at the factory in Switzerland over the course of this year. I look forward to finishing the season in strong form in Abu Dhabi.”