Mercedes F1 team should replace Rosberg with Wehrlein, Berger says
Former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger believes Mercedes should sign junior Pascal Wehrlein to replace Nico Rosberg, not Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes is finalising plans to replace world champion Rosberg following his shock retirement last month, but Williams driver Bottas is expected to be Lewis Hamilton's team-mate in 2017.
Wehrlein has been Mercedes' F1 reserve since September 2014 and impressed during his rookie campaign with Manor last year.
Berger, who has maintained links with Red Bull after his stint as Toro Rosso team principal, believes Wehrlein should have been promoted to replace his countryman.
"I would have taken Wehrlein to underline my own young driver programme," Berger told Auto Motor und Sport.
"Wehrlein always left a convincing impression in this programme.
"You will only see how good he really is when you put him in a top car."
Wehrlein is expected to stay in F1 with Sauber this year.
While Berger concedes putting the 22-year-old into Mercedes' plum drive would be a bigger risk than Bottas, he does not believe the Finn was dominant enough against team-mate Felipe Massa last year to prove his credentials.
Bottas finished eighth in the 2016 world championship, scoring 85 points to 11th-placed Massa's 53.
"In comparison to Bottas, Wehrlein is a risk, for sure," Berger added.
"Therefore, maybe the clever solution is not the one that springs to mind first and foremost.
"I hold Bottas in high esteem. He's quick, a good team player, a nice person and he has earned the chance to prove himself.
"On the other hand he didn't destroy Massa enough for us to be saying, 'he's the right choice'."
Previous article
McLaren F1 team would be disappointed with fourth in 2017
Next article
Ferrari keen to add Mick Schumacher to its F1 young driver scheme
Was Hamilton's Hungary solo start a good or bad look for F1?
OPINION: Different perspectives had Lewis Hamilton’s solo second standing start in Formula 1’s 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix as fabulous or farcical. But did it make the championship appear too silly for the sake of a moment of high-charged sporting drama?
Why unseen Hungary heroics could be the making of F1's most overlooked driver
The chaotic start to the Hungarian GP set the scene for F1's less heralded drivers to make a name for themselves. Esteban Ocon did just that to win in fine style, but further down the order one driver was making his first visit to the points and - while the circumstances were fortunate - took full advantage of the chance presented to him
Hungarian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
This was race that showcased the best and worst of Formula 1, producing a first time winner and a memorable comeback to a podium finish. Avoiding trouble at the start and astute strategy calls were key to success, but where some drivers took full advantage, others made key errors that cost them dearly
The “heart-breaking” call that led to Ocon’s Hungarian GP triumph
Set to restart the red-flagged Hungarian Grand Prix in second, Esteban Ocon had some doubts when he peeled into the pits to swap his intermediate tyres for slicks. But this "heart-breaking" call was vindicated in spectacular fashion as the Alpine driver staved off race-long pressure from Sebastian Vettel for a memorable maiden Formula 1 victory
The F1 champion who became an Indy king in his second career
Emerson Fittipaldi’s decision to go racing with his brother led to him falling out of F1, but he bloomed again on the IndyCar scene. NIGEL ROEBUCK considers a career of two halves
Why Mercedes is pleased to be in the Hungary hunt at a 'Red Bull track'
Mercedes ended Friday practice at the Hungaroring with a clear gap to Red Bull thanks to Valtteri Bottas’s pace in topping FP2. But there are other reasons why the Black Arrows squad feels satisfied with its progress so far at a track many Formula 1 observers reckon favours Red Bull overall
How Red Bull endured its second car crash in two weeks
OPINION: Red Bull was justified to be upset that Lewis Hamilton survived his British GP clash with Max Verstappen and went on to win. But its attempts to lobby the FIA to reconsider the severity of Hamilton's in-race penalty were always likely to backfire, and have only succeeded in creating a PR disaster that will distract from its on-track efforts
The ‘screaming’ F1 engine future that may not be out of reach
OPINION: It wasn't just the Verstappen/Hamilton clash that had the Red Bull and Mercedes bosses at loggerheads at Silverstone, with the nature of Formula 1's 2025 engines also subject for disagreement. But hopes to have loud, emotive engines that are also environmentally friendly don't have to be opposed
