Wehrlein candidate for a seat at Force India in 2016
Nurtured by Mercedes, the young German driver Pascal Wehrlein could make his Formula 1 debut as early as the 2016 season. This is, in any case, the desire of Mercedes and Toto Wolff, who would like to place their protégé at Force India.
The ties between the Force India team and engine supplier Mercedes have become increasingly close over the years. The Indian team, powered by the German manufacturer, also welcomes young protégé Pascal Wehrlein from the star-branded company.
The German driver has already completed several test days behind the wheel of a Force India, and Mercedes would like to convert these tests into a full-time seat for next season. This was admitted by Toto Wolff, the executive director of the German brand, to the newspaper Auto Bild: “We want him to race in Formula 1 next year. Contacts have already been made with Force India, but other options remain possible.”
Wehrlein, for his part, prefers to remain discreet about this option: “Of course, my goal is to be in Formula 1 one day. But the opportunity would have to be interesting because as of today, I am very happy in DTM.”
The seats of Sergio Perez and Nico Hülkenberg, who both had a good start to the season with a car that was merely an evolution of last year’s, are already under threat. However, rumors already place the German, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year, on the list of possible replacements for Kimi Räikkönen at Ferrari.
