Niki Lauda claims that nearly “half the grid have offered themselves” to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes in 2017, following the 2016 world champion’s unexpected decision to withdraw from the sport.
Since Rosberg announced his retirement in Vienna on Friday, there has been a growing list of candidates mentioned as potential team-mate to Lewis Hamilton next year.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has declared that the team is looking at “all the options”, which range from promoting a young driver like Pascal Wehrlein to buying out the contract of one of the top drivers, all of whom are signed for 2017.
“We have lost a champion, the best driver of 2016,” Lauda, who serves as Mercedes non-executive chairman, is quoted as saying to the Gazzetta dello Sport. “It won’t be easy to replace him because all the drivers of a certain standard have contracts with other teams.
“Taking a young driver is a risk, we don’t know if he will be strong. Practically half of the grid have offered themselves.”
Never afraid to speak his mind, Lauda also admitted that he and several team members took Rosberg’s decision “badly”.
“I didn’t expect it, nobody in Mercedes imagined that he had had enough,” the former triple world champion added.
“At first I didn’t believe it. ‘Nico, what you told us, are you kidding by any chance? It’s a joke?’ But he said it was all true. Quite incredible.
“Rosberg’s decision has left us disorientated and unprepared, and all those who contributed to Nico winning the world title took it very badly.”
GALLERY: 2016 FIA Prize Giving Ceremony
Silbermann says... Respect to Rosberg
FEATURE: Nico Rosberg: Going on his own terms
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Alpine’s remarkable double podium at the São Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre…
Alexander Albon, Williams (Did Not Start): 5.5/10 Alex Albon is definitely going through something of…
Jos Verstappen wasted no time after his son spectacular win at the São Paulo Grand…
Charles Leclerc's weekend in Sao Paulo was unfortunately a stark contrast to Ferrari's recent triumphs…
Twelve years ago on this day, Kimi Raikkonen took a popular win at the 2012…
The Mercedes team was hit with a fine by the FIA after Sunday’s Sao Paulo…