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Pascal Wehrlein has admitted that Mercedes didn't sign him as Nico Rosberg's replacement due to the protection of his career in the long run.
Wehrlein was a prime candidate for Mercedes when Nico Rosberg announced his retirement, as the 22-year-old is a Mercedes junior driver. However, he missed out on the seat to former Williams driver Valtteri Bottas.
The German also revealed that he wasn't too disappointed to miss out on a top team seat, as his 'Plan A' had already followed through.
"Toto told me he didn't want to burn me," Wehrlein told Germany's Sport Bild. "He said they still believe in me and that I should instead build myself up in peace. Of course I hoped for a change to the world champion team, but when Mercedes went for Bottas, I wasn't too disappointed. Why? Because my original 'plan A' was still fulfilled," he said.
'Plan A' refers to signing with Sauber, who Wehrlein will race with for this season. However, with Manor disappearing from the F1 grid, it looks like Wehrlein could again be racing for a backmarker team. Despite this, he remains positive and optimistic about the season ahead.
"Sauber is at the beginning of an era," he said. "There is enormous potential in the team and I am proud to be a part of this building back up. We have a highly professional, international team. But we will have to have a little patience."
Fergal Walsh
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