No deal for DTM champ Wehrlein to join Manor F1 coming this month
Mercedes reserve Pascal Wehrlein will have to wait until the new year before learning whether he is to be in Formula 1 or the DTM in 2016
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has confirmed holding discussions with Manor owner Stephen Fitzpatrick about securing Wehrlein one of the last two seats available in F1 for next season.
Although Mercedes is supplying Manor with power units from 2016, any deal for Wehrlein, who became the youngest DTM champion in the series' history this year, is completely independent.
"I'm looking at the market and it's very difficult to find a permanent race seat for next season for him," Wolff told Autosport.
"He definitely has the ability to be in Formula 1, to be one of the very successful ones, but it needs to be the right place for the right value.
"If we can't make it happen for '16, then we'll give him lots of mileage in an F1 car, be it with us or another team in the form of a testing programme, and then we will see what opens up for 2017."
Wolff has confirmed that a testing programme could be with any of Mercedes' partners - the 21-year-old has already tested with Force India - but he is not yet giving up hope of Wehrlein securing the drive with Manor.
"We [Mercedes and Manor] are still having conversations," said Wolff.
"But I understand there are commercial constraints Manor is facing, that there is this financial reality, so you can't force it.
"Staying in DTM is Option B, and if it is only Option B then we will make sure he continues to learn in and around a Formula 1 car as well.
"I would rather see him move on into Formula 1 because I think he deserves that, and if not then he will have the opportunity to defend his DTM title."
Asked if Wehrlein's situation would be resolved before Christmas, Wolff replied: "It's going to stretch over into the new year."
BROADER IMPACT OF POTENTIAL DEAL
Wehrlein's future is also set to shape GP3 champion Esteban Ocon's 2016.
The French youngster has been retained as a Mercedes junior, and told Autosport that he would prefer to race with the manufacturer in the DTM than move into GP2 next year.
Mercedes is the only band yet to announce its 2016 DTM driver line-ups, with Audi and BMW confirming in recent weeks that they were both retaining the same eight drivers.
At the brand's Stars & Cars event in Stuttgart on Saturday, Mercedes DTM boss Ulrich Fritz indicated news on its 2016 line-up would come early in the new year.
Daniel Juncadella won the Mercedes end-of-year celebration, beating Wehrlein in the final, the pair having eliminated Formula 1 drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton respectively in the semi-finals.
Previous article
Mercedes rivalry with Rosberg is healthy for F1, Hamiton reckons
Next article
F1 engine manufacturers given 'homework' over current problems
The figures Red Bull and Mercedes can't afford to see again in F1 2021
OPINION: An interloper squad got amongst the title contenders during Formula 1’s street-circuit mini-break, where Red Bull left with the points lead in both championships. But, as the campaign heads back to purpose-built venues once again, how the drivers of the two top teams compare in one crucial area will be a major factor in deciding which squad stays in or retakes the top spot
Why Alfa's boss is ready for the task of securing a stronger F1 future
Two tenth places in recent races have lifted Alfa Romeo to the head of Formula 1's 'Class C' battle in 2021, but longer-term the Swiss-based squad has far loftier ambitions. With the new 2022 rules set to level out the playing field, team boss Frederic Vasseur has good reason to be optimistic, as he explained to Autosport in an exclusive interview
How Barnard’s revolutionary McLaren transformed F1 car construction
The MP4/1 was pioneering by choice, but a McLaren by chance. STUART CODLING relates the tangled (carbonfibre) weaves which led to the creation of one of motor racing’s defining cars
Why the end is nigh for F1’s most dependable design tool
Windtunnel work forms the bedrock of aerodynamic development in Formula 1. But as PAT SYMONDS explains, advances in virtual research are signalling the end of these expensive and complicated relics
Why polarising Mosley’s legacy amounts to far more than tabloid rumour
The newspapers, naturally, lingered over Max Mosley’s tainted family history and niche sexual practices. But this is to trivialise the legacy of a big beast of motor racing politics. STUART CODLING weighs the life of a man whose work for safety on both road and track has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but whose penchant for cruelty remains problematic and polarising
Why pragmatic Perez isn't fazed by no-nonsense Red Bull F1 culture
Sergio Perez has spent most of his career labouring in Formula 1’s midfield, wondering whether he’d ever get another shot at the big time. Red Bull has handed him that chance and, although life at the top is tough, the Baku winner is doing all the right things to get on terms with Max Verstappen, says BEN ANDERSON
What the data tells us about the F1 2021 title fight
Formula 1 has been tracking car performance using timing loops mounted every 200m around each circuit – to the extent that it was able to anticipate Ferrari’s 'surprise’ pole in Monaco. PAT SYMONDS explains what this means for this season and beyond
The weighty issue F1 needs to find a balance with
OPINION: After consecutive street races with contrasting highlights, one theme stood out which has become a prevalent issue with modern Formula 1 cars. But is there a way to solve it or, at least, reach a happy middle ground to help all parties?
