Only two drivers didn’t call Toto Wolff to replace Rosberg
The vacancy left by Nico Rosberg at Mercedes is attracting a lot of interest. The team's executive director, Toto Wollf, is in great demand. He has admitted that most of the other drivers on the grid have contacted him, with the exception of two. Which two?
Nico Rosberg shook the world of Formula 1 by announcing his retirement from the competition after acquiring his first world drivers’ title.
As a result, and a rare occurrence in the history of the discipline, the seat of the reigning world champion is available! Such an opportunity, in the fastest single-seater of the moment, naturally attracts interest.
In an interview with our Italian colleagues from the Gazetta Dello Sport, Toto Wolff, the executive director of the Mercedes team, admits to having received phone calls from the majority of drivers on the grid, except for two: “I was bombarded with phone calls. I was called by 80% of the Formula 1 drivers. The only ones who didn’t call me are Kimi Räikkönen and Daniil Kvyat.”
But if the Finn and the Russian didn’t do it, it’s for a simple and good reason: they don’t have my phone number! Wolff specifies.
Despite everything, Wolff and Mercedes are keeping a cool head. Even though they are in a position of strength, they do not wish to shake up the grid by recruiting a lead driver from another team: « It is not my intention to create problems with Ferrari. And I don’t even know if Sebastian truly wants to race for us. And the same goes for Alonso. What would Ferrari and McLaren do without Vettel and Alonso in December? Or Williams without Bottas? These are the options I like the least,” the Austrian emphasizes.
Mercedes’ strategy is simple. A meeting is to be held today to advance the options, which are, ultimately, not numerous: « The first option would be to consider having a number 1 driver and a number 2 driver, like at Ferrari during the Schumacher and Massa era. Essentially, one driver would focus on earning points for the Constructors’ Championship. The second option would be to promote a young driver, like Ocon or Wehrlein. After all, other teams have given chances to young talents like Verstappen or Vandoorne. The third option would be to look at the driver market and find another top driver. On Monday, I will be in Brackley, and we will have a meeting with Ron Meadows, Andrew Shovlin, and our engineers, and we will work to find the best solution. It’s a very exciting new challenge. »
