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The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team couldn’t make it four points finishes on the trot as during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone a loose wheel following his first pitstop caused Charles Leclerc (bottom) retire while his teammate Marcus Ericsson (top) crashed out. |
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The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team couldn’t make it four points finishes on the trot as during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone a loose wheel following his first pitstop caused Charles Leclerc retire while his teammate Marcus Ericsson crashed out.
The team started yesterday’s race confident of fighting for points with both Leclerc and Ericsson showing good pace early on and gaining positions after having started from P9 and P15, respectively, on the grid.
The race took a different turn though when Leclerc pitted on lap 18 and had to stop his Ferrari-powered Sauber C37 immediately after exiting the pit lane with a loose wheel.
Then on lap 32 it was Ericsson’s turn to retire as he lost the car in Turn 1 with the DRS still open, hitting the barriers and calling out the Safety Car.
Despite the disappointment, and especially with Leclerc potentially having been able to finish as high as seventh place, the team will head into the next grand prix at Hockenheim in Germany feeling positive after having made further progress during the weekend at Silverstone.
Marcus Ericsson
C37 (Chassis 01/Ferrari)
Result: DNF. Start on soft tyres, after 24 laps change to medium tyres
“It is disappointing that I did not finish the race today. It was going really well, we were following the strategy plan and had a good first stint. Then, the second stint also started well, and we were waiting to become stronger through the race. Unfortunately, I had to retire following my crash in turn 1. The DRS was open, and I lost the car. The positive is that we made further progress and I look forward to fighting back at the next Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.”
Charles Leclerc
C37 (Chassis 04/Ferrari)
Result: DNF. Start on soft tyres, after 18 laps change to medium tyres
“It is a pity that I had to retire from the race today. The start was exciting and I was able to
gain a few positions during the opening laps. The car felt good, our pace was competitive, and things were running smoothly. Unfortunately, there was an issue during the pitstop, and we had to retire straight after. In any case, mistakes can happen, and the team has been doing a great job with the pitstops in the past races, so we will move on from this and go into the next race weekend feeling positive about the progress we are making.”
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal
“It was a tough race for us. We had a good start, with both of the drivers putting in a strong performance. Everything was going well, with Charles advancing to P7 and Marcus steadily catching up with the midfield. Unfortunately, things took a turn after Charles’ pitstop. There was an issue and he had to retire from the race immediately after. Then, Marcus lost the car in Turn 1. It is a tough outcome for us, but we have to stay positive. Despite the final result today, we have made another step forward since the last Grand Prix weekend and are in shape to come back stronger for the next race at Hockenheim.”
Photos: Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team - 2018 FIA F1 World Championship
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