Marcus Ericsson
Heading into his fifth full season in Formula 1, Marcus Ericsson still holds the rather damning record of having scored more penalty points in the sport than actual points.
Two-and-a-half years have passed since Ericsson last reached the top 10, taking two points for P9 at the 2015 Italian Grand Prix, yet he has clung on to his Sauber seat for another season as it gears up for a fresh partnership with Alfa Romeo.
Sauber has recovered from the brink, partly thanks to fresh investment from Longbow Finance, the owners of the team with reported links to Ericsson, but now needs to deliver on-track.
Ferrari junior and Formula 2 champion Charles Leclerc is currently taking the spotlight, yet the reality is that Ericsson is the man who will need to lead the team in the early part of the season, particularly when it comes to developing the Sauber C37 car.
Sauber opted against signing Antonio Giovinazzi in order to retain Ericsson. He now needs to prove this was the right decision. For all of the finance he may be able to bring in, a possible loss of prize money as a result of a lower constructors’ championship finish would be a big hit for the Swiss team.
