Sauber driver Marcus Ericsson feels his battle with highly-rated team-mate Pascal Wehrlein has been closer than the statistics suggest.

Even amid murmurs the team's Swedish owners favour Ericsson, Wehrlein leads the qualifying head-to-head seven-two and scored the team's only points-finish in Barcelona.

Ericsson, though, insists the duel has been "very even" and believes some small improvements could nudge him ahead.

"I think it’s been some small margins," Ericsson told Motorsport.com.

"Like in Barcelona, it was a couple of thousands, and in Russia I was about to go faster than him when he had his spin, so there were yellow flags."

"So, small margins. I think we have been very even. And if you look at the average between me and Pascal over all the qualifying sessions, it’s been really close."

"I think it’s just small things that I need to improve to get a bit more out of the car."

The 26-year old acknowledges that his team-mate, who is on the books of world champions Mercedes, is very talented.

"He [Wehrlein] is a very good driver," he said. "I knew that before, that he was a very good driver. And I think he has shown that this year, especially in qualifying.

"So he has been really good in putting a good lap together when it matters in qualifying.

"That's where he has generally been a bit stronger than me, whereas in the races I think we have been very, very closely matched."

Both drivers are under pressure to deliver in the latter half of the season, with GP2 champion-elect and Ferrari protege Charles Leclerc expected to join the team.