Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff says the German manufacturer has yet to decide who will replace 2016 Formula One world champion Nico Rosberg after he announced his shock retirement from the sport.
The German made the news official ahead of the annual FIA Prizegiving ceremony in Vienna, saying the thoughts first crossed his mind at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.
Rosberg’s unexpected departure leaves one of the two most coveted seats on the grid up for grabs. Attending the press conference alongside his driver, Wolff was asked whether Mercedes already had the chance to think about who will partner Lewis Hamilton in 2017.
“No, I think the first thing on the agenda was to give Nico the opportunity to tell everybody that he is retiring,” he replied. “We did not want it to be leaked so we kept it in a very small circuit.
“Obviously now, we had to consider all options and it will be very hard.”
All top drivers are under contract for next year, which include world champions Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari, Fernando Alonso at McLaren-Honda, but also grand prix winners Daniel Ricciaro and Max Verstappen at Red Bull.
After being overlooked for a Force India promotion, Mercedes protégé Pascal Wehrlein, who has tested many times with the works outfit, especially with the new 2017-spec tyres naturally, features amongst the candidates.
“We are going into a new era of technical regulations and there is a free Mercedes cockpit for the seasons ahead,” Wolff added in a statement. “We will take the necessary time to evaluate our options and then find the right path for our future.”
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