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Nasr ready to explore options?

Felipe Nasr's trying time at Sauber may prompt him to look elsewhere for 2017, the Brazilian has admitted.

Taking time out for media obligations between the Monaco and Canadian grands prix, Nasr revealed that his management team are already putting out feelers for possible openings next season, and that he should have an idea of his options by the mid-point of the current campaign.

"Since I came into F1, I had many dreams I wanted to achieve - and I still do," he told Brazilian television channel Globo, "I do not want to let my opportunities pass. I have good people working on it so that we can take the next step in considering all our options for 2017, even if it's too early for anything right now. However, I think that, from the middle of the year, we will start to know what options there are, but we have options - and more than one."

After a promising debut season, in which he scored six times as Sauber staged a mini-rival from a scoreless 2014 campaign, Nasr has struggled to get close to the top ten this time around, with 14th-place finishes in Bahrain and Spain his best offering in six rounds. His Monaco Grand Prix came to an ignominious end when, having refused team orders to give way to team-mate Marcus Ericsson, the pair came together at Rascasse...

The Brazilian's current deal only runs to the end of this season, and Nasr hopes that sponsor Banco do Brazil would be enticing to rivals. Until then, however, the 23-year old is hoping that Sauber can pull enough backing together to ensure a mid-season update to its car.

"A point would be almost a victory for us," he admitted.

Zdroj: crash.net