Marcus Ericsson is counting on Sauber team mate Charles Leclerc to boost his reputation in Formula 1 this year.
The Swede embarks on his fifth season in F1, having launched his career in 2014 with Caterham. Unfortunately, Ericsson doesn't have much to show for his stint at the pinnacle of motorsport, having scored just 9 points since his F1 debut.
The 27-year-old has succeeded in remaining a Grand Prix driver over the years however, a feat in itself given his meager track record and the fact that he has generally never clearly outperformed a team mate.
Ericsson feels his merits could get wider recognition this year however if he compares favourably with the highly-rated young man sitting on the other side of the garage.
"Last year Pascal Wehrlein almost got a seat at Mercedes but actually went to Sauber, and I think over the course of the season we were on average quite comparable," Ericsson said in Barcelona.
"Unfortunately, the car didn't allow us to fight for higher positions, but Pascal was a good comparison for me."
Getting the upper hand over 2017 F2 champion and Ferrari junior Leclerc won't be a small issue for Ericsson, but that's his objective.
"Charles will be another good comparison for me," he added.
"He is considered one of the most promising newcomers to Formula 1 and for me it's ideal. I can show what I can do as a driver."
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