Bernie Ecclestone fears Wehrlein in Mercedes; Bottas is the boss's favorite - Formula One man is worried about choosing a young rider for the team, which would make the championship less competitive. Nasr has new perspective

Nico Rosberg left a beautiful hot potato not only in the hands of Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda, ​​the directors and partners of the Mercedes team, warning them that they no longer wanted to continue racing in F1, five days after winning their first world title, 27, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.


Bernie Ecclestone was also the winner. The F1 promoter was also hit with Rosberg's unexpected decision. And it makes sense to believe that American Liberty's Chase Carey, a business group that has acquired part of F1's commercial rights, closely follows the negotiations to define Rosberg's replacement.

Remember that huge disappointment of the fans when after the first stages of the 2014 championship it became clear that the introduction of hybrid drives made F1 overly technological?The pilot had lost importance in defining the results. The efficiency of the car and the drive unit have become too heavy.

Everyone within F1 itself mobilized and began a long and exhausting series of discussions aimed at radically changing the regulation already this year, 2016. But the leaders of the teams and the FIA ​​understood that it was too late and was for 2017. The World championship next year was conceived, therefore, to rescue what F1 already had the best: the valorization of the pilot.

Cars much faster, about 4 seconds per lap, chassis and wider tires and a new look very aggressive. And even more important: the attempt to make F1 less predictable. Fans, sponsors and professionals of the competition can no longer know before the qualifying sessions which Mercedes driver will get the pole position and before the starts, who will win.

These are the noble principles that governed the conception of the new and very distinct technical regulation of 2017. It encouraged many people. The season that starts March 26 in Melbourne, Australia, should be a lot more exciting then, right?

IT CAN GO WRONG

Not necessarily. Rosberg's surprising departure from Mercedes and F1 could have a major influence on the success of the new regulation.

Ecclestone knows that very well. For this reason, according to Wolff's next professional and that GloboEsporte.com had access, the F1 strong man stays in contact with the director of Mercedes. He wants to be informed about Wolff's negotiations with the candidates for Rosberg's vacancy.

It is not difficult to understand why Ecclestone and possibly Carey follow the step-by-step direction of Mercedes in the driver market. In essence, because they can not hold the potato in their hands, it's very hot.

Imagine, for example, that Wolff is unsuccessful in having the first name of his list, Valtteri Bottas of Williams, to be Lewis Hamilton's mate in 2017. And the only viable option for Wolff is to promote German Pascal Wehrlein , 22, from the carmaker's academy, and a season of experience at the Mercedes owner's Manor.

Both in the head of Mercedes director and Ecclestone and Carey, the question that bothers them much is what Wehrlein can do with a car that has a high chance of allowing him to fight for victories.

Rosberg, with its ten experience championships, or 205 GPs before Abu Dhabi, 23 victories and 30 pole positions, played a great season with nine victories this year, , One less than Hamilton, already considered one of the majors in history, with his three titles and impressive 53 victories, 104 podiums and 61 pole positions.

Can you better understand, now, the reasons why Ecclestone has called Wolff?

You can not compare Wehrlein if he gets the spot with Rosberg. The 22-year-old German is fast, won the prestigious German Championship of Tourism (DTM) by Mercedes in 2015, proved to be talented this year by passing five times to Q2 in the standings and scoring a point in the GP Of Austria with the Manor, but at the same time, although not conclusive, did not enchant Wolff, Lauda, ​​the paddock of the F1, as it did from the beginning, for example, Max Verstappen, to the 17 years.

SUPPORTING ROLE

Most likely, in the face of Wehrlein's total inexperience with winning cars, he is, at least in the first year, a co-star, only, of the show. In other words, do not offer serious resistance to the expected series of Hamilton achievements, in case the German car is really fast, balanced and reliable as in the last three years.

Bottas therefore serves several interests. It is likely that Ecclestone has even talked to Claire Williams and Mike O'Driscoll of Williams' management trying to persuade them to accept Wolff's offer to take him to Mercedes.

What may also save the season of Hamilton's expected solo work in 2017, if Wehrlein is his partner, is the project of Adrian Newey, RBR engineer, for Max and Daniel Ricciardo. He often produces sensational models and champions in the conceptual reviews of the rules, as in the case of 2017. As for Ferrari, it will be a surprise if the group of young technicians of the "horizontal structure" demanded by President Sérgio Marchionne, built and directed by Mattia Binotto , Design a one-way ticket that wins Mercedes and RBR.

One question that should now be asked is what weight Mercedes has to say about the loss of technical director Paddy Lowe, who has been mentioned by the Italian and British press in recent days. Probably small. Lowe is a technical area organizer, not a designer.

The design of the 2017 model is the responsibility of the same group that has held three extraordinary projects, champions with Hamilton in 2014 and 2015, and Rosberg this year, as well as imposing overwhelming advantage for the Constructors' World Cup opponents. They are: Mark Ellis and Aldo Costa, in the chassis area, Geoff Willis, aerodynamics, and Andy Cowell, driving unit.

Lowe arrived at Mercedes in June 2013 and inherited the entire structure set up by Ross Brawn, who left Mercedes in February 2014, and Bob Bell in April. The 54-year-old English engineer, in fact, leaving Mercedes to go to Williams, it seems, should not leave a vacuum in the three-time world championship, although his ability and experience may prove very useful to Williams.

Let's go back to what led Wolff, Christian Horner, RBR, Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari, Eric Boullier, McLaren, and FIA representatives, among others, to fight each other for more than a year to define the final text of the 2017 regulation, As mentioned, to make the show more attractive and the results less predictable.

And if Wehrlein goes to Mercedes, as mentioned, he will hardly be Hamilton's opponent. Unless all are mistaken and F1 logic is no reference at all. Or there's still a Max Verstappen inside Wehrlein, which would be great, and so far no one has. Possible, of course, but unlikely.

Ecclestone fears exactly this: that if Wolff hired Wehrlein and Mercedes will once again have a car far superior to that of the competition, as he is sure, he told GloboEsporte.com in Interlagos F1 will be even less exciting in 2017.

And the arduous struggle waged by all to approve an expressive change of the regulation, able to demand the very investments of the teams, not only does not give the expected result as it works to the contrary, at least as to reduce the predictability of results.


BOTTAS CAN STILL WORK

Wolff still has not given up on having Bottas. He is a partner in the company that manages his career, Aces Management, and would make important concessions to Williams on the amount to be paid for using the Mercedes power unit, in addition to offering Wehrlein. The first offer was declined by Clare Williams and Mike O'Driscoll. Wolff must raise the offer, a radical discount of 16 million euros (R $ 60 million) normally charged, and the sale of Wehrlein.

Mercedes will no longer have to pay the 16 million euros salary in 2017 to Rosberg. And if Wolff gives away the driving unit of grace to Williams, probably the request of Claire and O'Driscoll, the English team will have important financial reinforcement. It would no longer pay Mercedes 16 million euros and would no longer have to fulfill the contract of Bottas, which will cost in 2017 the value of 6 million euros (R $ 20 million). And Wehrlein would not cost more than 1.5 million euros ($ 5 million) a year.

If Williams does not wish to have Wehrlein next to newcomer Lance Stroll, just 18 years old, another option is Felipe Nasr, 24, two seasons of experience and whose potential the team knows. Nasr was a test driver for Williams in 2014 and made excellent impression. The Brazilian would sign contract, without hesitation, for something similar, 1.5 million euros. Happy with life.

The second round of negotiations between Wolff and Claire and O'Driscoll should already be under way. The question remains: and if there is no agreement and Bottas stay at Williams, how does it go, who can go to the most coveted F1 car?


OTHER OPTIONS
Look at the hot potato burning Wolff's hand, Lauda and Ecclestone! From what they have stated in recent days, the two experienced drivers who have left F1, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa, should not be invited. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, and Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, are in contract with their teams and Mercedes officials have said they will not disrespect their commitments.

"Unless there's an agreement with the team and it's ultimately in everyone's interest," Wolff said. So Bottas is still an option.Frenchman Esteban Ocon, 19, as Mercedes's academy Wehrlein, signed with Force India. But Wolff has also said that, like Wehrlein, both would need one or two years in average F1 organizations before racing for Mercedes.

Force India's Mexican Sergio Perez would be a possibility, but his departure there would mean for the Indian team the loss of sponsors Claro, Telmex and Telcel. They contribute about 15 million euros ($ 57 million) in Force India's budget. Wolff would sign an important reduction in the total of 16 million euros charged for the supply of its power unit, no more. So Vijay Mallya, partner and director, would hardly agree.


A name that has circulated among F1 professionals in recent days is that of the Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Haas F1. He is an admittedly swift, combative and extreme pilot. It has contract and as its escuderia competes with drive unit Ferrari, Wolff has nothing to offer to Gene Haas, owner of the organization, but money. The same rule applies: Grosjean is a very unlikely alternative, but not impossible.

All of Wolff's and Lauda's efforts are now concentrated in the second round of talks with Williams for Mercedes to have Bottas. And in this sense Lowe's likely arrival may make Wolff and Lauda's task a little less difficult. The capable Mercedes technical director is expensive. According to indiscretions, he would be leaving Mercedes for Wolff not agreeing to pay him what he demanded.Williams needs him, as Pat Symonds, the current technical director, is 63 years old and is already thinking about retirement.

NASR HAS A NEW PERSPECTIVE

And the eventual departure of Bottas certainly opens a door for Nasr, in which case, faced with the prospect of obtaining good results in the English team, would attract sponsors, even the Bank of Brazil, as the company said in the statement to GloboSport. with. If Nasr goes to a team that allows him to advance in F1 the bank reconsiders even the amount invested in the first two years, season, R $ 50 million (about 14 million euros). Banco do Brasil would most likely review its decision to no longer sponsor Nasr.


And in that case, Williams' budget would increase further, leaving it in a good position to invest in the development of the 2017 model, which is necessary because it is a completely new car, imposed a new regulation.

The market awaits the definition of Hamilton's mate to move. There is also the Swedish partner Marcus Ericsson at Sauber and the two at Manor. It is likely that by Friday, the 16th, Wolff will settle the matter, enter into an agreement with Claire and O'Driscoll, to release Bottas, or even announce Wehrlein, against Ecclestone's interests. There is chance of being another pilot, but small.

Nasr follows with extreme interest what will happen in the coming days in Grove, England, seat of Williams. It is not impossible to emerge from there good news for Brazil. If this is the final chapter of the novel, it will make everyone happy. Mercedes, for having Bottas; Ecclestone, for Hamilton to face some resistance to impose himself on the championship; To Williams, with full coffers; And Brazil, which maintains the tradition of having at least one representative in F1 since 1970 and, once again, in a good condition to obtain good results.