Ericsson to become Sauber third driver

Alfa Romeo Sauber has confirmed Marcus Ericsson will become the Formula 1 team's third driver and ambassador in 2019 after losing his race seat.

Ericsson has raced for Sauber since the start of 2015, recording a best finish of P8 in his debut outing for the team, but was confirmed to be out of a seat for next year on Tuesday as Ferrari junior Antonio Giovinazzi took his place. Giovinazzi will form an all-new line-up at Sauber alongside Kimi Raikkonen for 2019.

Ericsson - who has links to Sauber's owners - will however remain part of the setup at Hinwil, taking up a role that will see him become the team's third driver, as well as being a brand ambassador for the Swiss outfit.

#THANKYOUMARCUS

We are delighted to announce that @ericsson_marcus will continue to be part of our team

Marcus will be taking on the role of Third Driver and Brand Ambassador#Kimi7 + @Anto_Giovinazzi + #ME9 = DREAM TEAM!!#DreamTeam #alfaromeosauberf1team #F1 pic.twitter.com/3I9MKZQbCl

— Sauber F1 Team (@SauberF1Team) September 25, 2018

"I am thankful for the past five years of my career which I have spent racing in Formula One. I am proud to have represented Sauber for four of those years, and for having raced for such an iconic brand as Alfa Romeo this season," Ericsson said.

"I would have loved to continue on this path, but having a driver like Kimi Räikkönen on board is a great opportunity for the whole team. Going forward, I will continue contributing to the development of the team as I have always done, with full dedication and all of my support.”

Ericsson also posted a message on Twitter in which he confirmed he was open to exploring racing options in other series for 2019.

#ME9 #KeepPushing pic.twitter.com/VFF7nwQK0H

— Marcus Ericsson (@Ericsson_Marcus) September 25, 2018