Marcus Ericsson feels Charles Leclerc’s reputation can only be a positive for him, especially if he shows well against him during their time as team-mates at the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team this year.

The Swede is set to embark on his fifth consecutive season in Formula 1, and his fourth with Sauber, but has failed to score a point since the 2015 Italian Grand Prix, although the team has scored only seven points across the past two campaigns themselves.

Last year, he was up against Mercedes-Benz junior Pascal Wehrlein, and will now face the challenge of going up against Ferrari Driver Academy star Leclerc, but he knows that showing well against the Monegasque driver will be good for his own reputation and future within Formula 1.

“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,” Ericsson is quoted as saying by F1i. “Unfortunately, the car didn’t allow us to fight for higher positions, but Pascal was a good comparison for me.

“Charles will be another good comparison for me. He is considered one of the most promising newcomers to Formula 1 and for me it’s ideal. I can show what I can do as a driver.”