Marcus Ericsson says Sauber imposed team orders during the closing stages of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after he picked up debris, causing damage to his C36-Ferrari.
Ericsson held 10th spot as he chased his first point since 2015, but Sauber instructed the Swede to allow team-mate Pascal Wehrlein through, as both came under pressure from McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne.
Ericsson ultimately accepted the order and Wehrlein moved ahead to score 10th place, adding another point to Sauber’s tally, while Ericsson narrowly fended off Vandoorne for 11th position.
“It was looking good,” Ericsson said of his race around the streets of Baku.
“Then a lot of things started happening with Safety Car phases and the red flag, which disrupted the race and challenged us to stay focused and committed.
“After the restart I settled in quite well but picked up some debris, damaging my right rear of the floor.
“I was having some trouble in my left-hand corners, and started struggling to keep up my pace.
“Pascal was behind me, with Stoffel behind him, who was closing up the gap to my team-mate.
“I received the order to let Pascal pass so that we can protect the point for our team, so I did.
“In the end I see it as a good result for the team, but of course it was disappointing for me not to be in the car that scored considering that I was 10th for a substantial part of the race.
“However, I was able to play a defining role in scoring the point by keeping Stoffel from closing in during the final lap.”
Wehrlein’s point lifted his and Sauber’s 2017 total to five, leaving the team three points clear of McLaren-Honda, which scored for the first time this year courtesy of ninth for Fernando Alonso.
Wehrlein stressed that Sauber's point was only achievable due to the dramatic nature of the race.
"The race was defined by several interruptions, so we do have to stay realistic when it comes to our expectations for the next races," he said.
"We have some improvements to make, and would not have been able to score under normal circumstances."
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