Sauber Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson is viewing his move to the United States to r🎐ace in the Verizon IndyCar Series from 2019 as a long-term project, saying he expects to remain in the series "for quite some time."

Ericsson co💧nfirmed at the en⛎d of last month he had signed with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for the full IndyCar season in 2019, having lost his seat at Sauber to Ferrari junior Antonio Giovinazzi.

Erics💞son will combine his IndyCar commitments with a reserve and ambassadorial role with S💃auber, but is not viewing IndyCar as being a stop-gap prior to a move back into F1.

"I'm g🔴oing to America fully committed to doing a great job over there. I see myself as being there for quite some time," Ericsson 🌊said.

"But then in the future you never know what will happen. I’m just super excited to go there. I met the team and it felt reaꦜlly, really good.

"I think IndyCar, from the outside, looks like a lot of fun, so I can’t🌠 wait to 💜get started."

While Ericsson said his five-year stint in F1 had been "amazing," 🌌the Swede conceded he was looking forward to racing in a championship where he would once again have an opportunity to fight for race wins at the front of the field.

"Mos♔t of the time, I’ve been running in back-of-the-grid teams and cars and that’s always tough, especially when you’re used to growing up throug🧜h the junior ranks and you always fight for wins and podiums," Ericsson said.

"You always go in witꦑh that mind🅷set to a race weekend, and then the last five years that’s never been realistic and that’s been the tough part of it.

"That’s why also I’m so excited about next yearඣ, that I can actually be back racing for wins again.

"I bring a lot of experience and a lot of good memories from these five ⭕years, for sure."