Ericsson says he can compete with highly rated Leclerc

Marcus Ericsson believes that racing with Charles Leclerc can boost him standing in the sport.

Ericsson is seen by a lot of Formula One fans as a pay driver, havng only scored 9 points during four full F1 seasons, all scored in 2015, but he is looking to put those thoughts to bed by competing with highly rated rookie Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc, 20, dominated Formula 2 last season, finishing as champion with 7 wins.

He is part of the Ferrari development programme and is expected to make a big impact in Formula One.

That is something that cannot be said for Ericsson, who has a best finish of 8th at the Australian GP in 2015.

Ericsson told the media: "Last year Pascal Wehrlein almost got a seat at Mercedes but actually went to Sauber and I think over the course of the season we were on average quite comparable.

"Unfortunately the car didn't allow us to finish in higher positions, but Pascal was a good comparison for me.

"Charles will be another good comparison for me.

"He's considered as one of the most promising newcomers to Formula One and for me it's ideal. I can show what I can do as a driver."

It cannot be doubted that there are more talented drivers than Ericsson outside of F1, so this season is key for the Swede to show what he is really made of, up against from of Formula One's brightest hopes.