Ericsson: "Weight disadvantage costing me three tenths a lap"

  • Published on 05 Oct 2017 10:34
  • 16
  • By: Sam Gale

Marcus Ericsson has suggested that the difference in weight between himself and teammate Pascal Wehrlein is currently costing him 0.3 seconds per lap to his teammate. The taller Swedish driver  has claimed that his car is running 10kg heavier than his teammate and that is costing him time in both qualifying and the race.

The gap between the two backmarker teammates looks one sided on paper, with Wehrlein scoring all of the teams points this season and outqualifying Ericsson 9 times to 4. However this is not the case the average pure pace gap is in fact the closest between teammates on the entire grid in qualifying with the difference only 0.049% showing a tiny difference between the two.

Sauber itself estimates that they are running between 4 and 8 kilos overweight on Ericsson's car, but the swede himself suggested the gap has grown in recent races out to 10 kilos, which doubtlessly is hindering a team already struggling to get off of the back row of the grid, having failed to do legitimately since Wehrlein beat substitute Williams driver Paul Di Resta at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Ericsson said this on the battle between himself and Wehrlein: "We've been close, but he has good numbers on me, which I don't really like, it's also been difficult for me with the weight disadvantage. At the beginning of the year it was a bit less but for the last four or five races it's been 10 kilos difference. That is a lot of lap time on every lap on every track - usually they say it's three or four tenths a lap with 10 kilos."

Replies (16)

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  • Savio

    Posts: 145

    What a clown.. His end in F1 is coming. Bye bye Marcus "I crashed" Ericsson ; )

    • + 1
    • Oct 5 2017 - 13:12
    • Kean

      Posts: 692

      So you're saying a weight disadvantage does not cost lap-time?

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 13:18
    • Savio

      Posts: 145

      Kubica is definitely taller than Heidfeld and in 2008 he beat him in almost all qualification rounds. Stroll is also bigger than Massa and lately he is better than him during races. Marcus "I crashed" Ericsson is just poor driver and he can only cry.

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 13:38
    • Kean

      Posts: 692

      Weight is measured driver + car, weight can be compensated for heavier drivers by making the car lighter if possible. If the weight of driver + car is too light then you have to put extra weight on the car. Sauber hasn’t been able to make minimum weight with their car, there for the extra weight that Ericsson carries is a disadvantage. In the examples you mention, are you certain that the package car + driver was different between the two drivers or did they add extra weight on the car of the lighter drivers to make minimum weight? And by the way, where do you get the “I crashed” from, has Ericsson crashed more than other drivers on the grid?

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 13:58
    • Savio

      Posts: 145

      Firstable, he got this alias after the Singapore GP when he crashed the car during race. Later he said "At the worst, i will stay in Sauber for next year". He is notoriuos, he thinks that having a lot of money will give him a place in every team on the grid. Massive paydrivers are the worst side of this sport.

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 14:34
    • He really is nowhere close to deserve a nickname like that Savio, or do you mean to demerit Crashtor? Nah, Ericsson seem like a nice fella, but he isnt F1-material. I mean sure, 8 kgs can do a whole lot on pace, but there is most likely more to it. He has had his chance, he hasnt impressed, I hope he'll do better in another series.

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 17:54
    • Orchide

      Posts: 82

      Savio "I write retarded comments" apparently don't have a clue what his talking about....as always.
      You are throwing shit on drivers in all your comments. Keep them to yourself.

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 19:21
  • mbmwe36

    Posts: 533

    I don't know exactly what the purpose of that statement is? Are we supposed to grade him in a curve? Is it some not-so-humble bragging to redeem himself?
    The fact is he should either get to a team that is below the minimum weight (That's probably not happening) or he should try to lose some weight.
    I'm guessing he's politically fighting for his life, and that's why he made that statement, but it just reflects badly on him

    • + 0
    • Oct 5 2017 - 14:11
    • Kean

      Posts: 692

      He really doesn't have to make these statements, people in the paddock and the people deciding who drives for their team are fully aware of such things.

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 14:46
  • f1dave

    Posts: 782

    If he wasn't so full of shit he might weigh less.

    • + 0
    • Oct 5 2017 - 19:08
    • Savio

      Posts: 145

      Yeeeees that's right!

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 19:36
  • Savio

    Posts: 145

    You well know what's going on! I throwing shit only on pay drivers like Marcus "fat pocket" Ericsson, Kev "sucker" Magnussen, Jo "dancing with the wind" Palmer, Lance "I'm a paydriver" Stroll, Danil "like torpedo" Kvyat..

    • + 0
    • Oct 5 2017 - 19:34
    • Bhurt

      Posts: 320

      No need to explain yourself. I'm sure nobody takes you serious anyway.

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 22:44
    • Orchide

      Posts: 82

      Haha.
      Go to bed troll. Way passed your bedtime...

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 22:46
    • Savio

      Posts: 145

      I hope, team principials don't takes seriously drivers who i mentioned above ; )

      • + 0
      • Oct 5 2017 - 22:57
    • Kean

      Posts: 692

      I don't think we should think so badly about pay drivers, if it hadn't been for Maldonado and his backers Williams and Lotus might have had problems staying in F1. And if it wasn't for Ericssons backers Sauber would have definately folded. By the way, since Ericssons backers owns Sauber now, doesn't that put Ericsson in the same type of "Pay-driver" category as the Red Bull and Toro Rosso drivers? Red Bull owns the teams and they decide who drives for them, isn't that the same as with Ericsson. Also, basically every driver on the grid brings financial support in some way to the teams, Bottas has sponsors for instance, but he's never talked about as a Pay driver. Also, Ferrari receives Räikkönens weight in gold in comercial revenue by keeping him in the team. Santander sponsored Mclaren and later Ferrari thanks to Alonso being there. So basically every driver on the grid brings financial gains to the team, directly or indirectly.

      • + 0
      • Oct 6 2017 - 10:52

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