Ferrari eyeing Sauber as ‘kind of junior team’

Signing a new long-term contract with Sauber, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne says the Swiss team could become a “kind of junior team” for Ferrari.

Last week Sauber announced that they had re-signed with Ferrari having opted to cancel their proposed partnership with Honda.

The new contract has, according to Marchionne, paved the way for Sauber to become a junior team in which Ferrari can blood their young drivers.

He told reporters in Hungary: “The engines for Sauber are also a way to create a kind of junior team for our young drivers.

“We have two great young talents, but to secure the future of Ferrari, we need the chance to train them somewhere.

“We need space for them, so it’s a great idea and we’re working on it.

“Maurizio Arrivabene has worked hard on this project, and I want to say also that in agreement with Liberty Media we will also increase the number of customers for our engines.”

And with Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi looking to step up into F1, Marchionne added: “It’s a very positive thing for us; it’s a chance to have a junior team.

“We have a pair of exceptional drivers we need to run.”