Mercedes to name Rosberg’s replacement soon – Lauda

“I pushed like insane in every area after the disappointments of the last two years; they fuelled my motivation to levels I had never experienced before”.

He later joined Mercedes in 2010 alongside seven time World champion Michael Schumacher where he raced with till the end of his career.

The 27-year-old Ricciardo confirmed his status as one of the sport’s most exciting talents when he claimed third in the championship behind Mercedes duo Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton may no longer be the Formula 1 world champion, but the tactics he used in a bid to retain his title on Sunday (November 27th) are not an issue, Nico Rosberg has said.

Ocon has subsequently been signed by Mercedes-powered Force India on a multi-year deal and Wehrlein had emerged as the frontrunner for the remaining Sauber drive. Wolff said that the first option is to find a number two driver to guarantee the team’s constructors title defense next year. They dueled for the F1 championship for the past three years.

Mercedes said on its Web site that Nico Rosberg “will stop racing in Formula One with immediate effect”. “When you get where you want to be, if you accomplish your goal, I guess there’s no reason to keep going”. Rosberg was runner-up to Hamilton in 2014 and last year, but hung on this year to relieve Hamilton of the title in the final race. “We have no problem about how he raced in Abu Dhabi”. However, Mercedes cleared out that they are not rushing into matters.

Although beaten in qualifying by the 37-year-old Kimi Raikkonen this year, Vettel still claimed more points and podiums than his team-mate in 2016 and Ferrari would face a similarly tough challenge as Mercedes to replace a title victor in the two months before winter testing begins.

Rosberg, who had earlier started a rendition of Queen’s We are the Champions to the delight of his cheering audience, told Hamilton: “If you’re looking for a German teacher, call me up, as I’m looking for a job”.

Vettel, the four-time world champion, who has just finished a disappointing campaign with Ferrari after he failed to record a single victory, has been mooted as a mouth-watering candidate to replace his compatriot Rosberg at the German manufacturer. We have the best vehicle in Formula One, but no driver.

Also linked with the seat are drivers like Nico Hulkenberg and the Wolff-managed Valtteri Bottas, but Berger said that he would not advise Mercedes to break those sorts of contracts.