Niki Lauda: “We feel stupid”

Nico Rosberg's choice to leave the F1 at the end of the 2016 season marked Niki Lauda. The non-executive chairman of Mercedes Grand Prix is ​​struggling to accept the choice of the reigning world champion while the star-studded manufacturer hoped to still field its two starters next year.

“It totally surprised me, recognized the Austrian in World on Sunday. Even though I usually prepare for bad news and have a plan B, I wasn't prepared for something like this. You have to accept your choice, but Nico signed up for two years. Nico further explained that he would have continued if he had not managed to win the title. He could have at least made it through to the end of his contract. »

While Mercedes GP must urgently look for a replacement for Nico Rosberg, Niki Lauda fears that such a change will influence the team's performance at a time when F1 has new regulations.

“We signed a two-year contract with him by giving him the best car on the grid. This allowed him to win the title. Now we feel stupid. It's a huge disadvantage to no longer have stability at the crew level. We are in the worst situation in a way”, regretted Niki Lauda.