Sauber not looking at Vandoorne for 2019 seat

Sauber have revealed that McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne is not being considered by the Swiss team for next season, despite the Belgian being previously seen as an obvious potential candidate.

The reason for that is that Vandoorne was ART Grand Prix in the Formula 2 when he won the championship in 2015, a team which Sauber team boss Fred Vasseur is the founder of. The Belgian is also by a man named Alessandro Alunni Bravi, and he's the director of the company who are behind Sauber. One and one make two right? 

No.

"He's not in the discussions," Vasseur told Autosport.

"Honestly we are in the middle of the season.

"And even if everybody is a bit upset and a bit nervous on the drivers' market, if you compare with previous years, I think everybody is much earlier.

"So we stay calm."

One of the Sauber seats is always reserved for a Ferrari/Alfa Romeo nominated driver. Currently, that is Charles Leclerc, but with the Monegasque likely moving on to either the Ferrari factory team or to Haas F1, a seat will become available. 

The deadline for deciding on the new seat will be in mid-October, with Ferrari junior Antonio Giovinazzi being the main candidate as of now. The other seat, which is currently manned by the Swede Marcus Ericsson. As Sauber are financially backed by a Swedish investment group, it looks unlikely he'll lose his seat.

"He's doing a good job.

"He was one hundredth behind Charles in qualy, with an engine issue.

"The best way to keep a position for every single driver in the paddock is to do a good job, and he's doing it."