The Sauber driver lineup for 2018 could consist of Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi, both Ferrari junior drivers. The move would essentially transform Sauber into a Ferrari B-team and could earn the team a lot more support from Ferrari.
Both Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein will be out of a contract at Sauber after this year, leaving both Sauber seats open for 2017. Ericsson is often regarded as the team’s number one driver and has more experience than his teammate and financial backing has given him a lot of support by Sauber.
Wehrlein has already admitted at the Belgian Grand Prix that he is unlikely to have a seat on the team in 2018. He is expected to take a seat on the Mercedes AMG DTM team for the team’s final season in the sport in 2018. He is then expected to make the transition to the new Mercedes-Benz Formula E team for their debut season in 2019.
Original reports suggested that a single Ferrari junior driver would be taking Wehrlein’s seat in 2018, with the team retaining Ericsson for another year. However, the latest reports suggest that Ferrari would like to move both of their junior drivers to Sauber in 2018.
Charlies Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi could be the Sauber driver lineup in 2018. The deal would mean an engine discount or payout by Ferrari to Sauber, saving the team money. It could also mean that the Sauber team would gain a great deal of support from Ferrari, perhaps more than the Haas F1 Team, which would help them advance up the grid.
Of the two drivers, Giovinazzi seems more heavily favoured. He filled in for an injured Wehrlein at the start of the season in Australia and China. He has also completed a few free practice sessions with Haas near the end of the season.
Leclerc has also received his share of seat time with Haas, a Ferrari customer team and the team originally thought to be the Ferrari B-team. He has participated in free practice sessions at three events so far this season, also planning to run some more in Brazil.
There have been no official confirmations from Ferrari or Sauber on the driver lineup for Sauber in 2018.
