Pascal Wehrlein threw his hat into the ring at Mercedes, was briefly touted at Force India and offered to Williams, but has ultimately landed at Sauber for 2017. It’s a year which could make or break him.
When Nico Rosberg stunned the Formula 1 fraternity by announcing his immediate retirement as World Champion, an array of drivers were linked to the vacancy alongside Lewis Hamilton.
Once the impractical and contractually-bound candidates were ruled out of the equation it was a straight toss-up between Valtteri Bottas and Wehrlein for the opportunity to pilot Mercedes’ W08 Hybrid.
Mercedes eventually elected to prise Bottas from Williams, with Wehrlein placed at Sauber. He will be driving for the 10th-best team rather than for the World Champions.
Immediately, there was the polarised viewpoint that as Mercedes did not regard Wehrlein as a viable candidate for 2017, it did not believe in his talents, or that it has been too conservative when weighed against the approach taken by rivals Red Bull, whose method of promoting from within has reaped rewards.
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To take such a viewpoint represents a simplistic approach, for just because Wehrlein is not perceived as being ready in 2017 does not mean he cannot flourish and emerge as a viable candidate in the future.
Wehrlein is only 22 and has just a single season’s worth of experience under his belt for a minnow backmarker team. Wehrlein’s rookie campaign was solid; at times spectacular, at times questionable – the typical hallmarks of a first season in Formula 1.
Wehrlein made it through to Q2 on five occasions, including a high of 12th on the grid in Austria, which he converted to 10th in the race. The Spielberg point was not fortuitous, as Wehrlein hadn’t even caught the back of the pack at the mid-race restart, making his charge to 10th all the more remarkable, with 16 drivers reaching the flag. Wehrlein also showed nous on the grid, when he inadvertently pulled up in the spot vacated by Felipe Massa, and had the awareness to reverse to his original position before the first red light was illuminated.
Austria proved to be the high point, but there were other bright moments, with Wehrlein typically afforded his chance to shine on the low-downforce circuits which suited Manor’s MRT05 package. Several of his starts, including on his debut in Australia, caught the eye, while battling performances elsewhere also grabbed attention. Wehrlein was also unfortunate not to be able to exploit Manor’s potential in Belgium, tangling with Jenson Button, and Italy, retiring due to an oil leak.
But there were caveats. In being paired with Rio Haryanto, a competent but subdued driver, Wehrlein had an unknown barometer for the first half of the campaign. Wehrlein comprehensively outclassed Haryanto in race-trim, but over one-lap the Indonesian sometimes gave Mercedes’ protégé food for thought.
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When Esteban Ocon replaced the cash-strapped Haryanto, observers relished the prospect of two Mercedes juniors going toe-to-toe towards the back of the grid. Wehrlein was always in a compromised position, for his greater Formula 1 experience and assimilation within Manor meant the expectation was on him to grab the upper hand. Wehrlein duly kept Ocon at arm’s length for much of their stint together, but in the rain-soaked Brazilian Grand Prix it was the Frenchman who shone, coming agonisingly close to the points, while Wehrlein trickled backwards through the order. Murmurs also persisted over Wehrlein’s attitude, a situation accelerated when Ocon was signed by Force India on a multi-year deal.
From Wehrlein’s perspective it is understandable that he may feel slightly peeved at the situation. The manufacturer which has backed him for years has opted to sign a rival driver, his younger adversary has jumped into the midfield, while Williams opted to re-hire its retired driver (though this was down to sponsorship obligations and the desire to partner Lance Stroll with an experienced driver rather than a disparaging view of Wehrlein’s ability).
Yet Mercedes still has sufficient faith in Wehrlein to secure him a slot at Sauber, even with the presence of Ocon on the grid – an impressive sign of its belief in both drivers, considering Mercedes does not have the luxury of a Toro Rosso-style team.
After missing out on a Force India seat and having the Mercedes carrot dangled and withdrawn, Wehrlein now has to recalibrate his mind and prove his worth at a backmarker team once more. Sauber is unlikely to propel itself up the Formula 1 grid in 2017. The team was starved of resources for several months and its financial injection came only last summer – in Formula 1, progress is often long-term. That’s even before taking the team’s decision to use year-old Ferrari power units into consideration. Sauber, it therefore must be noted, is only just beginning to see the green shoots of recovery after several challenging years. Anything other than 10th in this year’s championship would represent a very good season for Sauber.
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If this sounds like a bleak situation for Wehrlein, then it must be seen as an opportunity in which to prove himself. He is still in Formula 1. He has a chance to beat the vastly improved Marcus Ericsson, now into his third year with Sauber. Wehrlein can also exploit his experience with the 2017-sized tyres, having conducted the bulk of Mercedes’ testing during the latter half of 2016, in another show of faith by the manufacturer. Leading Sauber’s charge will raise his stock and for 2018, who knows how the driver market may shake out?
Not every driver can be a Max Verstappen. There’s a reason why the ‘once in a generation’ tag has been applied to him. Rapid promotions have burnt several drivers, including some of Wehrlein’s counterparts on the grid. Daniil Kvyat was rushed to Red Bull prematurely. Romain Grosjean was picked up and spat out by Renault. Sergio Pérez endured a chastening experience with McLaren but has since flourished. Mercedes is savvy enough to realise that placing its rising star, raw but with currently unknown potential, alongside Hamilton, and straight into the thrust of a championship battle – with the pressure, media scrutiny, and sponsor commitments that come with it – it would be taking an unnecessary risk. Wehrlein’s trajectory could still be infinitely upwards, or it could well plateau, and that is why Mercedes has struck the deal with Sauber for 2017.
Wehrlein is likely to be at the opposite end of the grid to Mercedes, but if he builds on his potential and spearheads Sauber’s challenge, then there’s every reason to believe that he will still play a role with the Silver Arrows in the future.
