Vasseur admits interest in Leclerc for 2018 drive

Sauber team principal Frederic Vasseur has admitted that Charles Leclerc would be useful for Sauber in 2018. The Monegasque driver has been lighting up the Formula 2 championship this year, currently leading the championship by 50 points.

The 19-year-old is also unbeaten in qualifying and has been tipped by many to take a seat with Sauber for next season. Leclerc is currently a Ferrari junior driver, and with Sauber confirming it will run with Ferrari power in 2018 and beyond, there is a strong chance that a Ferrari junior will step into a seat at Sauber.

Leclerc faces competition from Antonio Giovinazzi who is also Ferrari junior. Giovinazzi raced for Sauber already this year, competing at Australia and China in place for the injured Pascal Wehrlein. Just who will step into the seat is still a mystery, but Vasseur is quoted by Speed Week: "It would be quite useful for Sauber to have someone like Leclerc as a driver."

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has said to Italy's Autosprint: "We have to find a place to lay the groundwork for tomorrow's Ferrari." Marchionne has also spoken about setting up a satellite Ferrari team, perhaps to be branded as Alfa Romeo.