Posted on 16th January 2017
The Sauber F1 team has signed Pascal Wehrlen to partner Marcus Ericsson at the team this year, completing the outfit's driver line-up for the forthcoming campaign.
Mercedes protégé Wehrlein completed his rookie season with Manor in 2016 and scored a point in Austria to place 19th in the final standings.
Wehrlein was touted as a contender to replace the newly-retired Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, but the manufacturer instead opted to recruit Valtteri Bottas from Williams, with the deal finally being confirmed today.
Wehrlein's move to Sauber means the 2017 grid is all but completed, with the German's previous team, Manor currently in administration. In a statement to the media today, Wehrlein is delighted to have signed for Sauber this season and is looking forward to the challenge of helping Sauber get back to the midfield once again.
“I am very delighted at being a part of Sauber for the upcoming Formula 1 season,” he said.
“It is a new challenge in a new team, and I am really excited and looking forward to this new adventure.
“Our objective is to establish ourselves in the mid-field and to score points on a regular basis.
“That being said, I will do my best to support Sauber. Now I am looking forward to meeting everyone in the team and to tackling the preparations for the 2017 season.
“I want to say a big thank you to Sauber for trusting in me and giving me this great chance.”
Wehrlein joins Sauber after the team endured one of its most difficult years in 2016, with financial constraints crippling the squad's development early in the season.
A mid-season takeover by Longbow Finance allowed Sauber to ramp up development and it made progress, with Felipe Nasr finishing ninth in a rain-affected Brazilian Grand Prix.
Those points elevated Sauber above Manor in the battle for 10th in the constructors' championship, a result which ultimately left its fellow minnows scrapping for survival.
Wehrlein's appointment alongside Ericsson raises doubts over Nasr's future with the Brazilian having been unable to secure his seat; with the situation being exacerbated by primary sponsor Banco do Brasil cutting funding.
Nasr took six top 10 finishes in his rookie campaign with Sauber in 2015, including a stunning fifth on his debut in Australia, which proved to be the high-point of the outfit's year.
Sauber's struggles in 2016 limited Nasr's opportunities; despite being out-shone by Ericsson for much of the year, it was ultimately Nasr's points at home which salvaged the team's season.
Sarah Jones- @jonesy_laaa
