Merc keen to continue with current line-up

Editor

Mercedes insist their “main priority” is to sign Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to long-term contracts…

Mercedes insist their “main priority” is to sign Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to long-term contracts.

The duo have proven to be a successful partnership for Mercedes and last time out in Russia wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship with the ninth 1-2 of this season.

Added to that, Hamilton and Rosberg are locked in an intra-team battle for the Drivers’ Championship and have won 13 of 16 grands prix between them.

Despite their success, Hamilton has yet to commit to Mercedes with talks put off until the end of this season.

But while he’s bidding his time, Fernando Alonso is reportedly pushing to join Mercedes in 2016.

For now, though, the team is hoping to retain its line-up of Hamilton and Rosberg.

“We have a contract with both our drivers for 2015,” Mercedes chief Toto Wolff told Sportal.

“We want to continue with the current line-up because these two boys are part of the success of the team.

“They have known each other so well and they respect each other. The moment you get somebody else in that fight, it could be detrimental to the team’s performance.

“Therefore our main priority is to continue with Lewis and with Nico beyond 2015.”

The Austrian added that there is “no such pressure” to sign double World Champion Alonso.

He added: “I think one of the reasons why this team has progressed forward is that we are Mercedes-Benz and we have this huge mother ship in the back ground helping us.

“They are also leaving us to the do the business and take the decisions that are the right ones for this tiny little entity, this tiny little unit for Mercedes.

“We can call their opinions when we think it is important and Dr [Dieter] Zetsche [head of Mercedes-Benz Cars] and the board are part of the decision-making process, but there is no pressure.”