Wehrlein to split with Mercedes after 2018

Pascal Wehrlein is to part company with Mercedes after the end of the current season.

The German driver has been affiliated with the Silver Arrows for a number of years. As a Mercedes-Benz driver he became the youngest-ever person to compete in DTM in 2013.

He went on to win the series championship in 2015 and the following year was promoted to Formula 1 as a driver for the Manor team, moving to Sauber in 2017. He scored championship points with both teams during his time with them.

However he found himself without a F1 seat when Sauber's new tie-up with Alfa Romeo meant the Mercedes link became a liability rather than a help. This year he's been back in DTM where he's currently eighth in the standings.

But with no prospect of getting back into F1 with Mercedes, both parties have now decided to call time on their partnership.

"My contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the 2018 season and we have jointly decided not to continue further together," commented Wehrlein.

"Thank you to everybody in Stuttgart, Affalterbach and Brackley who has supported me along the way.

"Now it's time to take the next step," he added. "I am looking for new challenges and opportunities, and am currently talking to other teams about a cockpit for next season."

• Mercedes ties make Ocon a no go for Toro Rosso

"Unfortunately, we couldn't offer Pascal a competitive drive for next year," said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

"In his best interests, we have therefore decided together with Pascal not to extend our agreement and to give him the best chance of securing an opportunity elsewhere that his talent merits.

"Our junior programme has always been about supporting young talent and finding opportunities that are in the best interests of the drivers' careers.

"It is not always a straight path to the top - and sometimes we have to recognise that it is the right time to end a relationship, too.

"We want to thank him for his fantastic performances for Mercedes-Benz in recent years and wish him all the best for the future."

Mercedes is already struggling to find a place on the F1 grid for another of its young drivers, Esteban Ocon, who similarly finds himself out of a seat at Force India.

Ocon has been ruled out of contention for a spot at Toro Rosso after Christian Horner and Helmut Marko both said it was highly unlikely that Red Bull would pick up a Mercedes-affiliated driver for either of their squads.

Also waiting in the wings for a shot at F1 is Formula 2 front runner George Russell.

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