Lauda: Rosberg 'not thinking about new contract'

Apr.19 - Championship leader Nico Rosberg and Mercedes have played down rising speculation about the German driver's expiring contract.

Reports have suggested Rosberg is on pole position for a new deal beyond 2016, given his six straight wins.

But Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told Bild newspaper in Berlin: "Nico is not thinking about a new contract.

"He is currently so strong that while the topic interests the media, for a driver it is nothing," he said.

Rosberg agreed: "This is currently not an issue for me. But I do want to continue for many years here (at Mercedes), that's clear."

Some reports have said Mercedes will want to quickly secure a deal with the on-form 30-year-old, but former F1 driver Marc Surer is not so sure.

"Mercedes is still in the best bargaining position," he said, "because all other options for Nico are worse. And without a new contract in his pocket, a driver goes hungry."

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Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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