The first part of the 2017 Formula 1 season was not very kind to Marcus Ericsson, who is yet to score his first points of the year. The Swede is hopeful that will change this weekend, as the Hungaroring track is not engine-dependent and Sauber brought significant upgrades to this race. Just few hours before the news about Sauber-Ferrari partnership broke, he was talking to ŚwiatWyścigów.pl’s Roksana Ćwik.
Marcus, the biggest news in Formula 1 right now is the introduction of Halo. What do you think about this project?
I think it is good that FIA and F1 are pushing for driver safety, as F1 was always at the front in this regard. I can agree on that it is not the prettiest thing, but overall it is very positive, so I am happy with it. I think the cars will be safer and definitely it will not kill the sport. Safety should always be a priority and while at first it might look strange, we will get used to it and it will be fine.
It is still unclear whether Sauber will team up with Honda for next year. Considering how much effort has been put into that project, what would be your hopes?
First of all, I do not have a contract for next year, so I do not know what I will be doing, but obviously it is important for the team to make the right decision. With so much talk about it, it is difficult to say what is right or wrong, only time will tell.
Drivers often tell that the new-for-2017 cars are more physically demanding. Does that impact your preparations?
Yes, especially during the winter I added more strength training to build up some muscles and now we are training harder to be a bit stronger in general. It is different to the previous years, when cars were lighter to drive but for me that is how Formula 1 should be – very fast and very demanding to drive.
Do you see much change in how the team operates after the principal has changed?
No, Fréd [Vasseur] has just started as a new team principal and he has not put his touch on things yet. I am sure he will do, but at the moment there are not any big changes in the team, at least not on trackside.
Sauber brought some upgrades to the Hungaroring. Could you tell something more about them?
We have quite a lot of updates on the aero package, like sidepods, front part of the floor, engine cover and stuff like that, so it is quite a significant update. We also have a cooling system, which should make everything better as well. Hopefully this will bring us closer to the mid-field.
Your brother is racing in the F4 this year. Do you think he will become a F1 star in the future?
Of course, he is following his big brother’s footsteps.
You stood on the podium at this track in GP2. What do you feel when you come back here?
I think it is a good track and quite special in the way that it is very technical, with a lot of corners and short straights, so it feels almost like a go-kart track. The middle portion of a circuit is the most difficult, with a lot of corners coming one after another, but I have always enjoyed it and as you say, I have stood on the podium here, so I have some good experiences and memories. It is also a track where a lot of Swedish fans and it is always nice to see the flags waved in the grandstands.
Because this track is so slow and the engine is not as big of a factor here, do you consider it as a best opportunity for a good result?
It is one of our strongest tracks for sure, that is why we are so much looking forward to this one. Like you said, the engine is not so important around here, so hopefully that means we will be able to fight with the midfield again.
The weather is changing a lot in the last few days. What would you prefer?
I really don’t mind whether it is dry or wet, any weather is good.
Last year track limits were strictly imposed here. Did you like it as a driver?
I don’t like it. It should be fair, but it is strange to get penalties for going off track and stuff like that. They have put some new kerbs this year, so I hope there will not be as much talk about this this year.
But some drivers did not like the kerbs at some tracks and were damaging their cars.
I think it is good that going off means going off. Of course it is not nice if you break your floor, but then it means you have to go a little bit slower and not go off. For me it is better than having penalties for track limits.
Coming from Poland, I obviously want to ask about Robert Kubica. Do you think he may make his comeback happen?
I do not know, but it is very good to see him testing a F1 car again. We all know how good of a driver he was before and if he can come back, it will be great for him and would make a pretty cool story. It will be interesting to see how he does, but I do not know much more to be honest.
Who will be the world champion this year?
If I had to guess, I would say [Sebastian] Vettel.
