Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team 2018

28.05.2018 LITTLE JOY FOR ALFA ROMEO SAUBER ON THE STREETS OF MONTE CARLO

ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM - 2018 MONACO GRAND PRIX
ALFA ROMEO SAUBER F1 TEAM - 2018 MONACO GRAND PRIX

The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team wasn’t able to continue its recent points scoring run in yesterday’s 76th Monaco Grand Prix although both its drivers, Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson, ran very solidly in the midfield positions for most of the race.

The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team wasn’t able to continue its recent points scoring run in yesterday’s 76th Monaco Grand Prix although both its drivers, Charles Leclerc and Marcus Ericsson, ran very solidly in the midfield positions for most of the race.

On the demanding city track of Monte Carlo as the race progressed into the final stages Leclerc was running in P12 followed closely behind by Ericsson in P13.

They were managing the race well with a solid pace when, just a few laps before the chequered flag was waved, Leclerc had to retire after clipping the Toro Rosso-Honda of Brendon Hartley ahead, an incident caused by a dramatic brake failure on the Sauber-Ferrari, leaving the young Monégasque driver out of his ‘home’ grand prix.

Ericsson made his way forward step-by-step through the race where passing is very difficult, picking up a late place off his team mate Leclerc and ultimately finishing the grand prix in P11, one place outside the points.

Marcus Ericsson:
C37 (Chassis 03/Ferrari)
Result: 11th. Start on ultrasoft tyres, after 17 laps change to supersoft tyres 

“As expected, it was a tricky race for us. It was good though, and I am happy with my result. The focus of the race was on tyre management. It was challenging to keep them working in the right window, and make sure to not use them too quickly. It was tough to advance, as we were both stuck behind Brendon (Hartley) for the majority of the race. We lost a lot of time there. It was a good team effort overall, and there are a lot of positives. Next up is Montreal, which is a track that suits us much better. I look forward to that.”

Charles Leclerc:
C37 (Chassis 04/Ferrari) Result: DNF.
Start on ultrasoft tyres, after 14 laps change to supersoft tyres

“It was a tough race, and it is disappointing that I could not finish it. Everything was going quite well, we had a good pace, and were competitive in the midfield. We lost a bit of time getting stuck behind Brendon (Hartley) for much of the race and, being on a track where it is difficult to overtake, there was not much we could do. Unfortunately, there was an issue with my brakes just a few laps before finishing. I tried to avoid the car ahead, but there was nothing I could do. A shame, but I look forward to the next race in Canada now.”

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal:

“We had a strong pace in today’s race with both of our drivers. They lost quite a bit of time behind Brendon Hartley, but still advanced and defended their positions well. The face of the race changed after Charles collided with Brendon ahead. He had an issue with his brake discs and could not avoid it. Marcus had a strong pace, especially towards the end of the race, when he was able to catch up with Sainz. Overall, a good job done by both of them, and we will make sure to continue to fight in the midfield in Montreal.”

Photos: Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team - 2018 FIA F1 World Championship

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Photos: Sauber F1 Team / © 2018 Interfuture Media/Italiaspeed