Source: Sauber F1 Team

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Ericsson: Losing Sauber seat hurts!

Ericsson: Losing Sauber seat hurts!

07-11-2018 16:51
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Bobby Vincent

Marcus Ericsson has revealed that losing the Sauber seat for next season "hurts a bit", ahead of his final two races with the team.

With Charles Leclerc's switch to Ferrari, the Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen is coming the other way to replace Leclerc, and Antonio Giovinazzi will be taking Ericsson's seat.

Ericsson has been at Sauber since 2014, with 18 points scored for the team in that time.

Raikkonen is a former world champion and Giovinazzi is on the Ferrari books, so Ericsson said that he understands the decision from the team, but it doesn't make it any easier for him.

"Of course, it was hard to accept," Ericsson explained to Autosport. "I thought I was going to stay but obviously I understand the reasons as well, with a driver like Kimi becoming available, and the other seat is obviously taken (by Ferrari).

"To get an opportunity to get a driver like Kimi, it's impossible not to take that opportunity. So I understand that, even though it's obviously disappointing for me and my career.

"I feel like I've been here, working so hard for the team in very tough times, and the car has been at the bottom, and people have been leaving the team, and I've been always putting all effort into trying to turn it around, staying positive and never blaming the team for anything."