Ericsson wants full focus on IndyCar, not Alfa Romeo for 2020

Marcus Ericsson states he wants to put his full focus on his 2020 IndyCar campaign rather than a reserve role with the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team.

Ericsson raced for Sauber from 2015 to 2018 before it was rebranded as Alfa Romeo, but was kept on as a reserve driver in 2019 when the team brought in Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

The Swede held the F1 duties alongside an IndyCar seat with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsport, scoring a podium finish in Detroit.

McLaren has now formed an alliance with Schmidt Peterson, leaving Ericsson to find refuge with Chip Ganassi Racing, joining five-time series champion Scott Dixon and compatriot Felix Rosenqvist.

Ericsson is in talks to remain part of the Alfa Romeo team next year, but insists his primary focus is on his full-time race seat.

"I have a long relationship with Alfa Romeo and Sauber and I'm pretty sure I will have some part, but I have also said that I really want to focus 100 per cent on this Indy season," Ericsson told Expressen.

"The priority is not to be a reserve driver in Formula 1, the priority is Indycar. But I don't want to say too much about what it will be because it is complicated, with various different factors. We will see what Alfa Romeo and even what Ganassi wants."

At the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this year, Ericsson was brought over to potentially replace Kimi Raikkonen, who had picked up a minor injury during the summer break.

Ericsson skipped the IndyCar round at Portland for the call-up but was not put into the race seat at Alfa Romeo, when Raikkonen was deemed fit to compete.

MORE: Schmidt says Ericsson 'pretty pissed' after Alfa Romeo saga at Spa

"That's the problem with social media today," Ericsson said of the Spa situation. "Everything happened very quickly and Alfa Romeo chose not to say anything so it all came out in the wrong way."