Marcus Ericsson wants his future in F1 sorted "sooner rather than later" as he looks poised to remain at Sauber in 2017.
The Swede revealed he had been in talks with a number of teams about potential vacancies during September, but felt he is most likely to remain at Sauber for a third consecutive season. With no decision yet taken on Sauber's 2017 driver line-up - and with seats currently available at Williams, Force India, Renault, Haas and Manor for next season - when asked if he has a timeframe for deciding his future, Ericsson replied: “Not really, no.
"I hope to have it sorted sooner rather than later because it’s then easier to focus on the driving. I think the last couple of races have been strong for me and that’s helping our position.
"It feels like I have quite a good chance of staying here, but also there are still some spots in other teams that aren’t filled yet. I know my management is keeping contacts open but at the moment I think it’s most likely that I will stay here in Sauber."
Asked about Sauber's 2017 car - which the team has been able to focus on developing after opting to use 2016 Ferrari power units - Ericsson says he has been kept slightly in the dark while his future is uncertain.
“I haven’t seen much of it at all, to be honest. I think the team is pushing really hard on it, but because I haven’t signed yet maybe that’s why I haven’t been able to see anything of it really.”
2017 F1 driver line-ups so far
Scene at the 2016 Japanese Grand Prix
Japanese Grand Prix - Quotes of the week
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