Formula 1: Marcus Ericsson on call for Alfa Romeo for Belgian Grand Prix
By Asher Fair
Marcus Ericsson is set to be on call for Alfa Romeo Racing for this Sunday’s Formula 1 race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the Belgian Grand Prix.
Full-time Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports IndyCar driver Marcus Ericsson will not compete in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway despite the fact that he was initially listed as the driver of the #7 Honda on the entry list for the race.
Ericsson is set to be on call for Alfa Romeo Racing in Sunday’s Formula 1 race instead. He drove full-time for the team when they were named Sauber from the 2015 Formula 1 season through the 2018 season.
This Sunday’s race is the Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the 13th race on the 21-race 2019 schedule.
Alfa Romeo Racing confirmed this news.
https://twitter.com/alfaromeoracing/status/1166977413479313414
The 28-year-old Swede is still under contract with the team as their test driver, but he has not competed in a race since the 2018 season finale late last November, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He had driven in each of the first 15 races on the 17-race 2019 IndyCar schedule.
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Through the first 15 races of the IndyCar season, Ericsson sits in 17th place in the championship standings with three top 10 finishes, all top seven finishes, including a career-high second place finish in the second of two races at the Raceway on Belle Isle. He has not missed a race, but that is set to change this weekend.
Despite the fact that Ericsson is travelling to the race, Alfa Romeo Racing have denied reports that he will actually be driving for the team in this 44-lap race around the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps road course in Stavelot, Belgium.
There was speculation that he would replace rookie Antonio Giovinazzi in this race. The 25-year-old Italian had struggled in his rookie season driving for Alfa Romeo Racing with only one top 10 finish, a 10th place finish in the Austrian Grand Prix.
He did finish in eighth in the German Grand Prix, but this result was stripped from him after the race via a 30-second time penalty that was issued to him as a result of a start violation. He was ultimately scored in 13th. Giovinazzi’s teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, has scored 31 of the team’s 32 points on eight top 10 finishes so far this year.
However, Ericsson is set to be there this weekend on standby if Raikkonen cannot compete, as there are reports stating that there may be an issue that prevents the 39-year-old Finn from doing so.
Ericsson has competed in 97 Formula 1 races, all from 2014 through 2018, and he competed in 81 of those races for Sauber from 2015 through 2018.
He scored 18 points on 11 top 10 finishes, all driving for the Swiss team, and he recorded a career-high eighth place finish in his first race driving for team, the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. Last season, he recorded a career-high six top 10 finishes and scored nine points en route to finishing in a career-high 17th in the driver standings.
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The Belgian Grand Prix is set to be broadcast live from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps beginning at 9:05 a.m. ET this Sunday, September 1. Be sure to tune in to the first race back from Formula 1‘s four-week summer break.