Marcus Ericsson’s Belgian Grand Prix was as short-lived affair as the Swedish driver suffered more mechanical gremlins on his Sauber F1 Team machine that saw him complete just three laps on Sunday.
Ericsson had already endured a tough weekend after his team replaced his Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) that saw him take a ten-place grid penalty, but more issues with the cooling system before the race meant he started from the pit lane, only to then suffer a gearbox failure that caused his retirement at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Swede is now looking to put this weekend behind him and focus on becoming more competitive across the remaining races of the season as the team aim for a breakthrough to score their first points of the year.
“It was a tough day,” revealed Ericsson. “When I went out to the starting grid we identified issues with the cooling system, so we had to make some adjustments. This meant that I had to start the race from the pit lane.
“It was a good first lap, I was able to catch the group ahead, but then suddenly I lost sixth gear on lap three. That was the end of my race; I had to retire. It has been a weekend with many issues, but I am sure we will be stronger soon.”
