Marcus Ericsson Confirmed at Sauber for 2017

[Mark Aalberts]

Sauber have had years that they had 4 racing drivers under contract for a race seat, so expect the unexpected.

 

[cmtr]

Lol no talent, secures yet another season in the pinnacle of motorsports. Incredible.

He has as much talent as 95% of the field. He's beaten Nasr most of the year (yes Nasr got lucky with rain and strategy to very unfairly get their only point this year) aswell as half of last year. He's as good as any of the midfield drivers. I'm sick of the paydriver discussions, that's all you read from certain people (including British press).

Let's see who brings money to their team:

Nasr? Check. Sainz? Check. Kvyat? Check. Bottas? Check. Massa? Check. Grosjean? Check. Gutierrez? Check. Perez? Check. Hulkenberg? Check. Ocon? Check. Wehrlein? Check. Magnussen? Check. Palmer? Check. Stroll? What do you think?

Would any of these be in F1 without bringing a single pound? Maybe some would, but 95% wouldn't. F1 today is not just about driving, it's about putting yourself in the situation that you have both talent and financial grounds to support you. You have to be good at both, people not realizing this are so blatantly naive.

 

[MrCharme]

He has as much talent as 95% of the field. He's beaten Nasr most of the year (yes Nasr got lucky with rain and strategy to very unfairly get their only point this year) aswell as half of last year. He's as good as any of the midfield drivers. I'm sick of the paydriver discussions, that's all you read from certain people (including British press).

Let's see who brings money to their team:

Nasr? Check. Sainz? Check. Kvyat? Check. Bottas? Check. Massa? Check. Grosjean? Check. Gutierrez? Check. Perez? Check. Hulkenberg? Check. Ocon? Check. Wehrlein? Check. Magnussen? Check. Palmer? Check. Stroll? What do you think?

Would any of these be in F1 without bringing a single pound? Maybe some would, but 95% wouldn't. F1 today is not just about driving, it's about putting yourself in the situation that you have both talent and financial grounds to support you. You have to be good at both, people not realizing this are so blatantly naive.

Nasr - Money. Sainz - Talent and money. Kvyat - Money, Putin and some talent. Bottas - Talent. Massa - Talent, Money and experience. Grosjean - a little bit of everything. Gutierrez - Money. Perez - Money and talent. Hulkenberg - Talent (he still has to prove that but he hassome talent). Ocon + Wehrlein - Mercedes. Magnussen - Talent (McLaren) and Money. Palmer - Money. Stroll - Money and talent (I'm sure he has talent)

 

[cmtr]

Nasr - Money. Sainz - Talent and money. Kvyat - Money, Putin and some talent. Bottas - Talent. Massa - Talent, Money and experience. Grosjean - a little bit of everything. Gutierrez - Money. Perez - Money and talent. Hulkenberg - Talent (he still has to prove that but he hassome talent). Ocon + Wehrlein - Mercedes. Magnussen - Talent (McLaren) and Money. Palmer - Money. Stroll - Money and talent (I'm sure he has talent)

Exactly. You missed Bottas, who also has money, otherwise it pretty much sums it up. Bottom line is every driver in F1 brings talent AND money. You don't get in without both.

 

[MrCharme]

Exactly. You missed Bottas, who also has money, otherwise it pretty much sums it up. Bottom line is every driver in F1 brings talent AND money. You don't get in without both.

Max Chilton

 

[Crowbar92]

Max Verstappen came in on talent, purely on talent. There is hardly any money in the Verstappen family (not enough to be able to sponsor a F1 team anyhow). The only times they had to push on with money, was during karting, when his dad pumped all the money he had + getting some sponsors into getting the best karting equipment. But F1 - that's all on talent.

 

[Andy 'Mars Bar' Graham]

Max Verstappen came in on talent, purely on talent. There is hardly any money in the Verstappen family (not enough to be able to sponsor a F1 team anyhow). The only times they had to push on with money, was during karting, when his dad pumped all the money he had + getting some sponsors into getting the best karting equipment. But F1 - that's all on talent.

Max Verstappen was a Red Bull young driver. He would not be in F1 if he wasn't part of that young driver program

Also dad probably played a huge part. Same will happen for Mick Schumacher

 

[MrCharme]

Max Verstappen came in on talent, purely on talent. There is hardly any money in the Verstappen family (not enough to be able to sponsor a F1 team anyhow). The only times they had to push on with money, was during karting, when his dad pumped all the money he had + getting some sponsors into getting the best karting equipment. But F1 - that's all on talent.

No driver came in F1 only because he has talent. There are so many talents that are unseen. With a father who was in the same car as one of the 3 greatest drivers in F1 History, it's easy to get connections to teams like Red Bull, Mercedes etc.

 

[racelover]

Kind of surpriced this news got posted here, given Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes are the only teams you've given a thought all season long.

Pascal ´God´ Wehrlein might be their second driver

 

[MrCharme]

Kind of surpriced this news got posted here, given Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes are the only teams you've given a thought all season long.

Pascal ´God´ Wehrlein might be their second driver

Maybe but he didn't manage to force the transfer to go to Force India and Sauber has no Mercedes engine so I think he will stay with Manor

 

[Filip Carlén]

Well, thats a waste of a position in F1. Would love to Felix Rosenqvist, Gustaf Malja or Jimmy Eriksson, and these are only Swedish talents (since I basically dosen't know any international). Well, Malja and Jimmy might need a few year before they enter the big league, but I think Rosenqvist would do a much better job than Marcus. I mean, Rosenqvist won Euro F3 2015, finished 10th in his first DTM race ever, finished a total 12th in Indy Lights 2016 even though he did only race 10/18 races. Currently he is in Formula E.

Marcus on the other hand has won Formula BMW UK back in 2007, Won formula Asia 2009 and that is pretty much it. Not not a single, resent accomplishment to talk about. I do know that Rosenqvist has had a problem with getting enough sponsors, so I guess that is one reason Marcus is still racing F1; Money.

 

[Mark Aalberts]

Max Verstappen was a Red Bull young driver. He would not be in F1 if he wasn't part of that young driver program

Also dad probably played a huge part. Same will happen for Mick Schumacher

I thought you knew the story about Max????

He only became part of the RB program when Redbull offered him the STR seat for 2015. This was already halfway the F3 season >> after the Norisring races. Until then the Verstappen family have been able to hold off Redbull and Mercedes for quite some time. Mercedes and Redbull where already in talks with them since around 2010 during his karting years about joining the young drivers program, but they Always fended that off because the Verstappen's wanted to have matters in their own hands and make their own decisions in how to enter the world of car racing. I think you can only do something like this if you have strong believe in you're own abilities in what you are doing. Any other driver would have immediately jumped onboard with them of course.

Basically until the Norisring races for what Marko made to decided he wanted to have Max in F1 he had never been part of the young driver program.

And about Mick, I really hope he will succeed but for some reason I miss the x factor with him. I hope with time that he gets trough, time will tell.

 

[Andy 'Mars Bar' Graham]

I thought you knew the story about Max????

He only became part of the RB program when Redbull offered him the STR seat for 2015. This was already halfway the F3 season >> after the Norisring races. Until then the Verstappen family have been able to hold off Redbull and Mercedes for quite some time. Mercedes and Redbull where already in talks with them since around 2010 during his karting years about joining the young drivers program, but they Always fended that off because the Verstappen's wanted to have matters in their own hands and make their own decisions in how to enter the world of car racing. I think you can only do something like this if you have strong believe in you're own abilities in what you are doing. Any other driver would have immediately jumped onboard with them of course.

Basically until the Norisring races for what Marko made to decided he wanted to have Max in F1 he had never been part of the young driver program.

I don't research the life stories of every driver in F1 Remember, I'm not a Verstappen fan, all I know is he was part of the Red Bull Young Drivers Program and that's it.

Max got there because of money as well is the point I'm trying to make. No one in F1 is there PURELY because of talent. You may be one of the quickest drivers in the world but that means jack **** if you don't have money (Example A- Dan Cammish, dominated Formula Ford but couldn't find a drive elsewhere for a bit before going into Porsche)

And about Mick, I really hope he will succeed but for some reason I miss the x factor with him. I hope with time that he gets trough, time will tell.

I've personally been very impressed with Mick Schumacher this season. 2nd in German F4 and Italian F4 (probably would have won Italian F4 if he hadn't missed a round). He also looked very strong in that MRF Challenge thingy, beating some drivers from F3 as well! (Ralf Aron the most notable)

 

[takfar]

Nasr - Money. Sainz - Talent and money. Kvyat - Money, Putin and some talent. Bottas - Talent. Massa - Talent, Money and experience. Grosjean - a little bit of everything (...)

I'd never realized Grosjean had a little bit of Putin.

 

[MrCharme]

I mean, Rosenqvist won Euro F3 2015, finished 10th in his first DTM race ever, finished a total 12th in Indy Lights 2016 even though he did only race 10/18 races.

Well Marco Wittmann won the DTM 2 times the past 3 years and was never even considered for F1

 

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

Well Marco Wittmann won the DTM 2 times the past 3 years and was never even considered for F1

Was he never, or is it that he doesn't want to.
In his own words
"F1 is not always the way that is needed [for a driver]. I think DTM has the same competitiveness, maybe even better. F1 is more popular, no discussion, but I think from the sporting side, especially from the driving side, the competitiveness is even higher, because you don't have paying drivers, you have only factory drivers from manufacturers. That's something that really counts."

 

[racelover]

Was he never, or is it that he doesn't want to.
In his own words
"F1 is not always the way that is needed [for a driver]. I think DTM has the same competitiveness, maybe even better. F1 is more popular, no discussion, but I think from the sporting side, especially from the driving side, the competitiveness is even higher, because you don't have paying drivers, you have only factory drivers from manufacturers. That's something that really counts."

Kudos to him

 

[MrCharme]

Was he never, or is it that he doesn't want to.
In his own words
"F1 is not always the way that is needed [for a driver]. I think DTM has the same competitiveness, maybe even better. F1 is more popular, no discussion, but I think from the sporting side, especially from the driving side, the competitiveness is even higher, because you don't have paying drivers, you have only factory drivers from manufacturers. That's something that really counts."

He wanted to have a chance but he never had one and probably will never have one

Rosenqvist finished his first race 10th (I think Wehrlein aswell but I'm not sure) and Ocon was always a backmarker but he was better than Wehrlein in F1 which makes me think that Wehrlein put too much pressure on himself after he finished better than Haryanto (who was expected better than Pascal) in almost any race.

 

[fortyfivekev]

Rosenqvist was a close second in the Macau F3 race last weekend. If nothing else he should get an award as the most versatile driver of 2016. Would be nice to see drivers like that who work hard get a shot.

 

[Rodent]

Rosenqvist has a bright racing future ahead of him, no need to saddle him with a Sauber drive where he'll have little chance to prove his worth. I say this as someone who really likes Sauber and is quite pleased to see Ericsson remain in F1 by the way.