Sauber boys deliver points but Ericsson left 'fuming'

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Sauber leaves Mexico with an additional eight championship points in its bag but it wasn't all smiles in the Swiss camp after Marcus Ericsson was forced to sacrifice his race to help team mate Charles Leclerc.

The Swede achieved on Sunday his sixth top-ten finish of the season when he finished ninth, two spots behind Leclerc, but the concerted team effort to ensure a double-points result led to a wing-man role that clearly rattled Ericsson.

"The plan was just to help Charles’ race basically," he explained.

"I was just sacrificing my race completely to help him. I wanted to box many laps earlier because I knew I was throwing away my race, but for the team and for Charles I had to try and keep these cars behind to help him open the gap.

"So I did that for the team but it was frustrating because it felt like I threw away my chances of points."

Leclerc well prepared by Ferrari for life in the fast lane

Ericsson revealed that in the heat of the action, under his helmet, he was steaming.

"I was really fuming in the car. I was really getting frustrated, in a nice way," he said.

"I know we have to work for the team’s best, but for me it was a bit extreme. I felt like I’d thrown away my race, which was very frustrating.

"I’ve always been a team player. I’ve always done everything for the team, I always put the team first and I think that’s one of my abilities that people value a lot and I will always do that."

Ericsson's sacrifice nevertheless paid a good dividend for Sauber which has now overtaken Toro Rosso in the Constructors' standings, with a three-point edged.

"It is a huge deal for the team because that represents a lot of money for the team and for the development of it," noted Charles Leclerc.

"It’s not done yet, there are still two races to go and we need to make sure that we keep them behind but I think our recent performance is good and I hope we can keep it."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.