Wehrlein in frame for Sauber seat

Pascal Wehrlein has been tipped to move across from Manor to Sauber from the 2017 Formula One season.

The Swiss outfit still has one seat available after confirming Marcus Ericsson for a third year earlier this week. While current team-mate Felipe Nasr had been expected to stay as well, the Brazilian’s main backer Banco do Brasil has yet to confirm whether it will continue to support the 24-year-old.

Autosport now reports that Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn and Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff met at the previous F1 round in Brazil, and talked about the Hinwill-based squad’s 2017 line-up.

With Werhlein losing out to fellow Mercedes protégé Esteban Ocon for a Force India promotion, the German manufacturer would be keen to place the 2015 DTM champion at Sauber.

The story adds that Manor is willing to keep Wehrlein, who has scored its only point of the season so far with 10th place in Austria, but Sauber is seen as a better prospect for the future, especially after the recent injection of investment and high-profile recruitment drive.

Besides Wehrlein, other candidates for the second Sauber seat include former team-mate Rio Haryanto and Esteban Gutierrez, who has not been retained at Haas. The two Manor drives are also up for grabs.

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