ALONG COMES ALONSO
Nico Rosberg quits: Fernando Alonso in pole position to replace Rosberg at Mercedes
But Spanish race ace won't come cheap - Mercedes need to release him from his McLaren deal worth around £25million
FERNANDO ALONSO is in pole position to replace Nico Rosberg after the German stunned F1 by announcing his retirement.
Rosberg, 31, dropped the bombshell just ahead of receiving the world championship trophy at a gala in Vienna on Friday.
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He only informed his Mercedes bosses of his plans on Wednesday after returning to Germany from a PR event in Malaysia - leaving them with a headache for 2017.
Rosberg could not bear to face Merc's Head of Motorsport, Toto Wolff, face to face so broke him the news over the phone.
Rosberg said: "It was massively difficult. I couldn't tell him in person. I had to call him. It was massively intense, especially after three hours of sleep."
Rosberg's shock decision to quit means Mercedes need to find a replacement before the season starts in Melbourne on March 26th.
And one name that is top of the wish-list is two-time world champion Alonso, who was desperate to join Mercedes in 2014.
The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract at McLaren but would jump at the chance to join Mercedes and partner Lewis Hamilton for a second time in his career.
Alonso called Wolff about a seat for the 2014 season when his Ferrari contract was up but the Austrian was unwilling to break up his pairing to accommodate Alonso.
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However, Rosberg's retirement now paves the way for Mercedes to create a dream team, however, they would need to release him from his McLaren deal -- worth around £25million.
Should Merc break the bank to sign Alonso, it could have further ramifications and see McLaren activate their option on Jenson Button and bring him back to F1.
Another option to Mercedes would be to promote test driver Pascal Wehrlein, who drove for Manor last season and is currently without a drive for next year.
Last night, Wolff admitted the team were left shell-shocked and were investigating their options for 2017.
However, he did praise Rosberg and said he understood the reasons for his decision.
He said: "This is an unexpected situation but also an exciting one. We are going into a new era of technical regulations and there is a free Mercedes cockpit for the seasons ahead.
"We will take the necessary time to evaluate our options and then find the right path for our future.
"This is a brave decision by Nico and testament to the strength of his character.
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"He has chosen to leave at the pinnacle of his career as world champion, having achieved his childhood dream.
"The clarity of his judgement meant I accepted his decision straight away when he told me. It's impossible to capture the essence of a person in a few short words.
"Nico has a special combination of natural talent and fighting spirit that have brought him to where he is today.
"We simply say 'thank you' for the incredible contribution he has made to our success, alongside two of the all-time great drivers, Michael Schumacher and Lewis.
But while Wolff -- and the F1 world -- was stunned by Rosberg's decision, his team-mate Hamilton says he was NOT surprised by the decision.
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Hamilton said: "I'm probably one of the only people that it was not a surprise to but that's because I've known him for a long time.
"This is the first time he's won in 18 years, hence why it was not a surprise that he decided to stop.
"But he's also got a family to focus on, having children, and Formula One takes so much of your time.
"We started out when we were 13 and we'd always talked about being champions.
"When I joined this team [Mercedes] Nico was there, which was again something we talked about when we were kids.
"It's going to be very, very strange, and it will be sad not to have him in the team next year. The sport will miss him, and I wish him all the best."
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