Hamilton-Rosberg staying as team-mates for two more seasons; Both Mercedes drivers now contracted until 2018
Friday 15 November 2019 10:39, UK
Nico Rosberg has ended months of speculation by signing a new Mercedes contract until the end of 2018.
The news means Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are set to continue as team-mates for at least another two seasons. The three-year deal Hamilton signed last year also runs until the end of 2018.
Mercedes released a video on social media of Rosberg and team boss Toto Wolff signing the agreement after several months of negotiations.
"We are very happy, obviously," Wolff said. "We had a couple of weeks of discussions but it was always clear we wanted to continue.
"Nico is the real deal for us and having made the signature is what matters for us. It's great, so onwards and upwards."
Austrian former F1 driver Gerhard Berger had been leading the negotiations for Rosberg while the German concentrated on landing his first title, with the 31-year-old currently holding a single-point lead over Hamilton.
Despite Wolff issuing a warning at the end of last season that the team would consider dropping one of the drivers if they could not work harmoniously together, and Hamilton and Rosberg twice crashing on track in the first half of this season, Mercedes never appeared likely to break up a partnership which has delivered consecutive world championship doubles.
Rosberg will now continue his journey in F1 with the Silver Arrows. He joined Mercedes upon their return to the sport as a team owner in 2010, the same year as Jenson Button - who may be in his final campaign - signed for McLaren.
"It's a special moment for me, of course, this moment of signing that piece of paper," Rosberg added. "I look forward to the future.
"Very thankful to you [Toto], to Niki [Lauda], to Dieter [Zetsche] especially, and of course to all others for the support and I'm just looking forward to the future."
Rosberg partnered Michael Schumacher as Mercedes adjusted to the rigour of the sport for the first three seasons, before Hamilton partnered him after a surprise move from McLaren.
He pushed his new team-mate all the way in 2014 but tailed off the following season, before starting a remarkable winning streak once Hamilton had clinched his third world championship.
Rosberg duly won the first four races of the current campaign, joining a list of greats with a total run of seven consecutive race victories, and took an early lead in the drivers' standings before Hamilton pegged him back heading into this weekend's Hungarian GP.
