Ericsson was 'fuming' over order to help Leclerc in Mexican GP
Marcus Ericsson says he was "fuming" early in the Mexican Grand Prix as he was asked to sacrifice his race to help Sauber Formula 1 team-mate Charles Leclerc


A strong recovery drive into the points ultimately left Ericsson - who has lost his race seat for 2019 - delighted with his Mexico City performance.
Running 10th early on, Ericsson was asked to extend his opening stint on hypersoft tyres to help protect team-mate Leclerc ahead by holding other midfield cars on harder rubber back.
With Ericsson's tyres extremely worn by then, the loss of pace and a slow stop meant he rejoined last when he finally pitted three laps after Leclerc.
"I was really fuming in the car. Really getting frustrated," said Ericsson of the order to help Leclerc.
"I know we had to work for the team's best, but for me it was a bit extreme.
"I felt I had thrown away my race, which was very frustrating."
Ericsson was able to recover to ninth, just two places behind Leclerc.
"My second stint saved it and I am really really proud of it," said Ericsson.
"With all these things, to still finish ninth and beat all these cars is quite incredible."
As both Saubers had made Q3, they were committed to starting on hypersofts that they knew would not last long, while rival cars from Force India, McLaren and Toro Rosso behind had free choice of tyres for the first stint.
That made using Ericsson to hold back pursuers essential to Sauber's strategy for its leading qualifier Leclerc, especially once the Renaults Sauber was racing for points fell into the pack behind him after their early stops to get rid of hypersofts.

"The plan was to just help Charles' race," Ericsson emphasised. "I was sacrificing my race totally to help him.
"I wanted to box many laps earlier as I knew I was throwing away my race, but for the team and Charles I had to keep these cars behind to help him open up the gap.
"So I did that for the team, but it was frustrating because it felt like I threw away my chance of points."
Ericsson said Leclerc had quickly acknowledged his help after the race.
"I've always been a team player, I've always done everything for the team. I always put the team first and that is one of my abilities that people value a lot and I will always do that," added Ericsson.
"I think I did that in a very big way and even Charles acknowledged that.
"He even thanked me after the race, that without me he would not have been able to do that race."
Sauber's double points finish in Mexico moved it ahead of Toro Rosso into eighth in the constructors' championship.

Robert Kubica in frame for 2019 Ferrari F1 team development role
Formula 1 teams' Brazilian Grand Prix tyre choices announced

Latest news
How Honda F1 missed a two-week window to sign Vettel
Sebastian Vettel may have enjoyed the greatest success of his Formula 1 career with Red Bull, winning four world titles - but he could have ended up with Honda instead.
Aston Martin starting "too far to the back" to score strong F1 results
Aston Martin Formula 1 team principal Mike Krack admits that the Silverstone outfit has to address its qualifying issues to be able to score more than the occasional point.
Mercedes: Flashes of F1 form are “annoying” trait of W13
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin admits that the W13 has an “annoying” characteristic of showing glimpses of real potential in Formula 1.
Las Vegas GP date leaked, F1 race could be paired with Abu Dhabi
The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix night race has a preliminary race date of 16-18 November next year that could form a glitzy season-ending back-to-back with Abu Dhabi.
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? PAT SYMONDS considers the alternatives to carbonfibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans revealed after Vettel’s decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last
Why all signs point to F1’s Monaco special relationship continuing
OPINION: With more potential venues than there are slots in future calendars, rumours have been circulating that the Monaco Grand Prix could be a casualty of F1’s expansion into new markets. But MARK GALLAGHER thinks this is highly unlikely