Ericsson hopes Leclerc will 'kick some ass' at Ferrari

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He won't be racing in Formula 1 this year but Marcus Ericsson will be rooting for Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, hoping his former Sauber team mate "kicks some ass" at the Scuderia.

Perceived as the brightest new talent to emerge among F1's latest crop of young chargers, Leclerc's impressive maiden season in Grand Prix racing in 2018 compelled Ferrari to sign up the 21-year-old for a race seat at Maranello.

Having experienced first hand Leclerc's outstanding skills, Ericsson sees no reason why the Monegasque's stock won't continue to rise at Ferrari.

Sauber progress spared Leclerc 'mentally challenging' season

"I would be very interested to follow Charles at Ferrari," Ericsson said.

"I think he can do really well, already next year. And of course if he does really well there it would reflect good on me, so let’s hope he kicks some ass over there!"

Ericsson was clearly outpaced by Leclerc over the course of the 2018 season, but there were nevertheless a few good relative performances delivered by the future Schmidt Petersen Motorsports IndyCar driver.

The Swede believes Leclerc will give Sebastian Vettel a run for his money this season.

"I think so," he said. "It will be interesting to follow but I’m pretty sure he will do really well."

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That opinion was recently echoed by F1 sporting manager and former Ferrari strategist Ross Brawn, who believes Leclerc will put more pressure on Vettel than the German driver's former team mate Kimi Raikkonen.

"I don’t imagine Charles Leclerc is going to be quite as accommodating as Kimi was on occasions," Brawn told Formula1.com.

"Kimi is his own man, don’t get me wrong, but I think Kimi knew what the lay of the land was in the team."

"He’ll have the pressure of racing against a world champion, a multi-world champion, so he’s going to have a pretty challenging year.

"But from what I have seen so far, I expect him to do a very respectable job."

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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.