Rosberg made to wait on new Mercedes contract

Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff wants to see how the early stages of the 2016 season unfolds before negotiating a potential new contract with Nico Rosberg.

The German left Williams for Mercedes in 2010 and was given a two-year extension in the summer of 2014. However, a series of flashpoints have since strained his relationship with team-mate Lewis Hamilton to the extent that Wolff warned both drivers that the team might let one of them go.

With the Briton having signed a new three-year deal last May and brought Mercedes a pair of Drivers’ world championships over the past two years, Rosberg’s position seems to be the least secure.

Asked to comment on his driver's future by Autosport, Wolff replied: “The line-up is a great line-up.

“Both of them are a major part of the team and responsible for getting the team to where we are today.

“But it's early days to discuss [Rosberg's contract]. I want to see how the season pans out. There are areas we want to develop altogether as a team, and let's see how that goes.”

Rosberg’s 14 grand prix wins and 22 pole positions have all been claimed with Mercedes, but the 30-year-old had to settle for the runner-up spot behind Hamilton during the past two campaigns.

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