Marcus Ericcson said his ninth-place finish in Bahrain, his first Formula One points finish in two-and-a-half years, felt like a weight being lifted from his shoulders.
Ericsson was one of the star performers of the Bahrain Grand Prix as one of just four drivers to complete a one-stop strategy -- the other three finished on the podium. The Sauber driver drove a long first stint before switching to Pirelli's hardest compound in the Bahrain range, which he nursed to the end of the race.
The Swedish driver has struggled to shake the negative 'pay driver' label since joining the grid in 2014 and there were questions over Sauber's decision to retain him for 2018 over Pascal Wehrlein or Ferrari junior Antonio Giovinazzi.