The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team is heading into the last two back-to-back races before the summer break. The first stop is Hockenheim, where Marcus Ericsson and Charles Leclerc look forward to competing in the German Grand Prix, a race that has been absent from the Formula One calendar for a year. After steadily fighting in the midfield during the last Grand Prix weekends, the team and drivers feel confident of finishing the first half of the season on a positive note.
The Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team’s Test and Reserve Driver, Antonio Giovinazzi, will be taking over the cockpit from Marcus Ericsson for the first free practice session at the German Grand Prix this weekend.
Marcus Ericsson
"Hockenheim is a track that I have driven many times – in Formula One, as well as in GP2 and Formula 3 when I was younger. It is a nice track. The biggest challenge is the last sector which can make or break your lap. It is important to have good speed in the straights and work your way through the hairpins in the first half of the lap well. There are usually a lot of Swedish fans attending this Grand Prix, so I hope to see many of them again this year. Their support is always great. As a team, we see a good trend in our performance, having been more and more competitive with each race weekend. I look forward to bouncing back and fighting for good results again at Hockenheim."
Charles Leclerc
"The Hockenheimring is a circuit that I know well, especially from my time in Formula 3. It is quite a technical track, with an impressive stadium that is usually filled with many spectators. I really look forward to going back there – it is great to have the German Grand Prix back on the calendar. Hopefully we can build on the progress we have made in the last few races, and keep fighting for points."
Track facts
Hockenheimring will return to host the 2018 German Grand Prix. The circuit is a mixture of high speed straights reminiscent of the original long track, and a slow section for the few final corners. The "Motodrom", or the stadium section is an impressive area to watch the race from, as spectators can hear and see cars coming from as far as turn 10. The stadium section also directly overlooks the final slow corners, making it easier to spot hero drivers and teams and build excitement for the race.