Mercedes names Pascal Wehrlein as reserve driver in F1
Simulator driver since the beginning of the 2014 season, Pascal Wehrlein, currently in DTM, has been appointed as the reserve driver for the Mercedes AMG F1 team.
DTM driver Pascal Wehrlein has been named reserve driver by the Mercedes AMG team in F1.
The young 19-year-old German driver was able to drive last Thursday on the Algarve circuit in Portugal, at the wheel of the Mercedes W03, which was the team’s car in 2012. He completed 109 laps. He also covered more than 12,000 kilometers this season thanks to the Mercedes simulator.
« After Nico and Lewis, he is the driver who has the most affinity with the procedures of our F1 W05 Hybrid and consequently, he is the right choice for the role of reserve driver, » explained Toto Wolff, the director of the Brackley team. « He took an important step last week when he drove a Formula 1 car for the first time, and we were thrilled to see him deliver an impressive test, in line with our expectations. »
Pascal Wehrlein expressed himself in turn: « It took me a few laps to get used to the incredible speed, the very powerful braking, and the high speeds in corners. It’s another planet compared to DTM. But I adapted quickly and was able to improve my short and long stints. In total, I drove 500 km and I didn’t want to come back to the pits. It certainly helped me to have worked hard in the simulator since February. For me, it’s a nice recognition of my efforts to have been named reserve driver.
The German won his very first DTM race this Sunday at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz circuit. The connections between DTM and F1 are quite rare, although Paul di Resta, DTM champion in 2010 and supported by Mercedes, raced for three seasons with Force India between 2011 and 2013.
