Nico Rosberg is first in the queue to race with Mercedes in 2017, confirmed team boss Toto Wolff, with media reports in Germany declaring that the Australian Grand Prix winner's current deal is definitely expiring late this year.
"Nico is part of the Mercedes family," Wolff told Sport Bild. "So he will be the first person we speak with. Then he has to tell us what he imagines also."
It is clear that, not far behind 31 year old Rosberg in the queue is Pascal Wehrlein, the strongly Mercedes-backed reigning DTM champion who has been placed at Manor this year for his F1 debut.
"Pascal has been given the responsibility at a young age to lead the Manor team," Wolff said. "We will watch him closely and then decide how to proceed with his career."
Rosberg joined Mercedes, from Williams, in 2010 when the team returned to the sport as a fully fledged works outfit, with Michael Schumacher as his teammate.
Since then Rosberg enjoyed his most fruitful years in Formula 1, winning his first grand prix in China in 2012, and since then notching up a total of 15 F1 career wins and twice (2014 and 2015) finishing runner-up to teammate Lewis Hamilton in the world championship.
Rosberg started his 2016 championship campaign in the best way possible, by winning the season opener in Melborune, prompting Mercedes F1 team chairman Niki Lauda to comment, "You need this to have a good start to the season because it gives confidence."
"For him this race was important to mentally stay strong and have a good baseline for the next one. It's good for him and for us, because the more they fight each other the better it is for me!" added Lauda.
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