Marcus Ericsson has expressed confidence that Sauber’s C37 will enable the team to return to the midfield group from the start of the 2018 season.
Sauber has languished at the back across the past couple of years, and last season was often cut adrift of the midfield, its prospects hampered by sketchy development and the increasing impact of its year-old engine.
However, Sauber has ramped up its investment and recruitment, and has also returned to using current-spec Ferrari engines, as it bids to claw its way back into contention.
Ericsson was seventh fastest on the penultimate day of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Thursday, logging 148 laps, and reckons Sauber has done enough to re-join the midfield.
“I still believe we are in the midfield, I think we are in the lower part of the midfield,” said Ericsson.
“It’s difficult to tell from testing but I think if we can sort of get the balance right, get the tyres to work correctly in Melbourne we should be there and fighting in the midfield and not being like last year being off the midfield, that’s the target and let’s hope that’s right.
“The motivation is really high because we know that we have all the tools this year.
“We still have things to learn with the car so don’t expect us to be at our best already in Melbourne but I think we can go there and fight.”
Ericsson conceded that the initial running this week had left him “a bit confused” over the C37’s potential, but was lifted by progress made across the past couple of days.
“We were a bit lost on where to put the car balance wise and set-up wise,” Ericsson said.
“We went through a lot of different things on that first day for me and in the end of it I was a bit confused with how the car really felt.
“We worked overnight to understand and try and make it better for day two, we did some good steps then, and built on that yesterday with Charles [Leclerc] driving and they made some really good progress with the set-up.
“I took on from that today and continued in that direction, and that’s been the progress during the first three days.”
