JUNE 18, 2016

Rosberg now close to 2017 contract?

Nico Rosberg and Mercedes and now edging close to agreeing a new contract for 2017 and beyond.

That is the claim of the German newspaper Kolner Express, revealing that family friend Gerhard Berger's efforts to negotiate on the 30-year-old's behalf are paying off.

One suggestion is that Mercedes may have sped up efforts to close the deal as Rosberg's big points lead over Lewis Hamilton is eroded, indicating the German may be struggling to cope with the title chase and the contract talks.

"No, first of all he had a brilliant adviser who is pretty experienced in negotiating good contacts, and that was very clever because he took himself out of it," team boss Toto Wolff said in Baku.

Kolner Express claims a two-year deal with a significant salary increase - from EUR 18 million a year to EUR 25m - is in the offing, with Wolff quoted as saying: "We are on the right track."

The newspaper even quoted Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda as confidently predicting: "Nico will drive for us next year."

(GMM)