Marcus Ericsson has expressed his happiness at scoring his first points in Formula One since the Italian Grand Prix in 2015.
Ericsson scored Sauber’s first points of the season, and their first since last season’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Despite starting in a lowly P17, the Swede scythed through the field before employing a one-stop strategy to leapfrog some of his rivals.
Ericsson feels like he has answered some of his critics who said that Sauber should not have retained him for 2018, instead suggesting the likes of Pascal Wehrlein or Antonio Giovinazzi should have taken the seat.
Ericsson said: “I’ve had some really difficult years and I’ve worked really hard with some really great performances and races.
“I’ve finished 11th four times since the 2015 Italian Grand Prix so I’ve been very close but there’s always been something happening – a safety car or something happened when I’ve been looking to try and score those points.
"To be able to do that today has been a big relief and you can feel a weight lifting from your shoulders.”
Ericsson’s ninth placed finish lifted Sauber to eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, above Force India and Williams ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix.
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