Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team principal Frederic Vasseur admitted the Japanese Grand Prix was “a tough day” after the team failed to score points at the Suzuka International Racing Course.
Charles Leclerc was forced to retire midway through the race while Marcus Ericsson reached the chequered flag, but down in twelfth place.
Leclerc had a major run in with the Haas F1 Team of Kevin Magnussen in the opening laps as the Dane hit the back of the Sauber and damaged the car before eventually, Leclerc was forced to retire later in the race.
“It was a tough day. Charles’ race was compromised by the incident with Kevin Magnussen.
“It was a very dangerous move on his part and Charles’ car was quite damaged after that.
“We had to change the nose during the pitstop.
“He did a good job recovering positions, but in the end, he had to retire from the race because of a mechanical issue.”
The second Sauber of Ericsson started at the back of the grid after the Swede’s crash in qualifying but Vasseur praisedhim for his performance as he made his way back up to twelfth position.
“Marcus gave a good performance. Finishing in P12 after starting in P20 is a solid job done and he managed the tyres well.
“We can see that we have a good pace overall, and look forward to the next opportunity for points in the United States.”
