Mercedes will “take its time” to replace Rosberg, Ocon already out of the race

New world champion, Nico Rosberg cut short his Formula 1 career by withdrawing from the race for his own succession. Last Friday, the German driver dropped this stunning information during a press conference held in Vienna, the host city of the FIA awards ceremony.

The Mercedes team is surprised but confident

The decision surprised, even within his own team. Indeed, this summer, Rosberg had signed a two-year contract extension with the Brackley firm. But now, there is indeed a gap to fill in the Silver Arrows’ garage.

And obviously, Rosberg’s announcement created a snowball effect.

Team principal of the three-time world champion team, Toto Wolff first praised Nico Rosberg’s decision to retire at the top of the sport.

This is a courageous decision on the part of Nico, proof of the exceptional strength of character he possesses.

But beyond the praise, Toto Wolff must clarify the identity of his successor. For the team, it is an unexpected situation, but also exciting. We are entering a new era. We will take the necessary time to evaluate our options and find the ideal path for our future.

More worried, Niki Lauda deplored the end of an exceptional duo of drivers. However, the Austrian himself had slammed the door on the premier discipline for the first time in September 1979 during the Canadian Grand Prix trials. But for his part, the triple world champion had returned three years later at the beginning of the 1982 season, racing for McLaren.

Finding a replacement for Nico is a real issue. Our pair of drivers was the best we could have. Racing drivers stop when they want. Coming from the outside You can’t influence them.

In the flurry of reactions, even the supreme leader of the F1 Circus was flabbergasted. Evidently, Bernie Ecclestone was not aware of Nico Rosberg’s surprising revelation.

» The former owner of Brabham told Reuters: « It’s a big shock for you as it is for me.”

And beyond the emotion, Formula 1 will quickly start to discuss the name of the successor in the Mercedes world champion’s seat. In this perspective, the British businessman indicated that Fernando Alonso would be his ideal choice to replace Nico Rosberg.

« It’s possible, let’s see how things go. McLaren has a new management. Maybe he is fed up and the team is also fed up with having him!
»

However, the Spanish driver is indeed linked to McLaren-Honda for the upcoming season. The Woking team is undergoing restructuring, with Ron Dennis stepping down and American Zak Brown taking over as executive director.

No double promotion for Ocon!

But the English bookmakers also place bets on other big odds. Among them: Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. For Ecclestone himself, the choice of the Red Bull driver would be the obvious answer to this change. Promoted by Red Bull Racing as early as May, the hypothesis of buying out the Dutchman’s contract years seems almost nil, as Verstappen is locked in with the Austrian team.

In the same vein, the Formula 1 chief financial officer expressed doubts about a future partnership between Vettel and Hamilton. Ecclestone stated on this subject, “I don’t think Seb wants to be on the same team as Lewis.”

More discreet, the identity of the successor in the Mercedes cockpit could turn towards Manor, with Pascal Wehrlein, the favorite to join Hamilton in the adventure, a driver from the Mercedes galaxy since the beginning of 2014.

However, one thing is certain: it will not be a Frenchman who will take the coveted seat. Interviewed by Canal+ at the awards ceremony in Vienna, Toto Wolff ruled out Esteban Ocon replacing Rosberg in 2017. According to him, the Force India seat is already a very good option for him. Therefore, one name is crossed off the list of contenders.

Pascal Wehrlein would therefore be the big winner if Mercedes continues its strategy of betting on a German driver. A sign that does not deceive, the Manor driver in /f1/actualite/21613-official-nico-rosberg-leaves-formula-1-and-announces-his-retirement-.html stepped in at short notice to carry out the tire tests normally assigned to Hamilton, who was ill during these private sessions. Despite some criticism, particularly from Force India about his lack of involvement during the appearances of the young German, the 2015 DTM champion is in a good position to secure the seat of his dreams at the end of his first season in Formula 1.

Big respect @nico_rosberg! Wish you all the best for your future!
Thank you for all your advices! #n1co pic.com/PqoqaAxioD

— Pascal Wehrlein (@PWehrlein) December 2 /f1/actualite/21613-official-nico-rosberg-leaves-formula-1-and-announces-his-retirement-.html

However, nothing has been officially confirmed yet. After the silly-season of the summer break, discover a new even more crazy period, which will certainly continue to unfold in the days to come!