F1: Rosberg retires from Formula One

Just days after winning the F1 World Championship, Nico Rosberg has announced his retirement from the sport, with immediate effect.

The announcement, which came via social media, was a shock to the motorsports world, with fellow F1 drivers split about the decision.

Open Race Seat

Rosberg’s retirement opens up a seat at the Mercedes team for 2017, meaning those drivers linked to the team now have a chance to step up and prove their worth.

Pascal Wehrlein, currently driving for Manor Racing, is expected to be a candidate.

Wehrlein is currently part of the Mercedes driver academy programme, with his team, Manor, currently using Mercedes engines and therefore a customer team of the Mercedes works team.

He also won the DTM title with Mercedes-Benz before joining F1 last year.

Another possibility for Mercedes is Williams driver Valteri Bottas, whose manager and agent is Toto Wolff, the team principal at Mercedes GP.

However, Bottas currently has a contract with Williams, also an engine customer of Mercedes, until the end of the 2017 season, so an agreement would have to be reached between the two teams.

Rumours have already been spreading about Fernando Alonso stepping up to the Mercedes seat, but he also has a contract with McLaren until the end of 2017.

If Bottas were to make the move to Mercedes, that would leave two empty seats at Williams, now that Felipe Massa has retired from the sport.

Massa has driven for Williams since 2014, after coming close to the 2008 title with Ferrari and only missing out by one point to then-McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton, and staying with the Ferrari team until the end of 2013.

Massa was previously team mates with seven time World Champion Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, before Schumacher himself retired from the sport in 2006.

Schumacher subsequently returned to F1 with the new Mercedes team in 2010, with the team having won the F1 Drivers and Constructors Championship with drivers Jenson Button, now retired, and Rubens Barrichello in 2009 under the guide of Brawn GP team – a team that former Mercedes principal Ross Brawn rescued from the ashes when Honda left the sport in 2008.

Schumacher retired for the second time in 2012 when Hamilton agreed a contract with Mercedes to partner with Rosberg for 2013.