New Sauber driver Felipe Nasr has revealed that he discussed his future with a number of other Formula 1 teams before agreeing a deal.
The Brazilian was announced as Marcus Ericsson's teammate for 2015, reportedly beating off competition from Giedo van der Garde for the second seat with the Swiss constructor.
However, Nasr has suggested that negotiations with rival outfits had taken place in recent weeks.
He is quoted by Crash.net as saying: "I talked to many other teams, not only Sauber but all the other teams that had a seat available. We came together with Sauber and I think it was the right time to do it.
"There was a lot of waiting at other teams and there's so much to go around. It's not only about having a good car, it's the whole package and Sauber seemed to offer the best one.
"I just feel I'm in the right place to start my career in Formula 1 and I can't wait for everything to start."
Nasr's deal could see both Adrian Sutil and Esteban Gutierrez left without a drive next season.