Pascal Wehrlein’s chances of securing a seat with Manor on the grid in 2016 look less likely now, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has conceded.
The current DTM champion is in the running for a seat with the British outfit, and whilst the team will run Mercedes engines next season, hiring Wehrlein wasn’t part of the engine deal.
Therefore Mercedes have offered to contribute £3 million ($4.4m) to essentially buy Wehrlein a seat, but that amount “seems by far not enough” according to Wolff.
It comes as GP2 racer Rio Haryanto received the backing of the Indonesian government earlier this month, which it’s belived have offered Manor £10m ($14.8m) in incentives.
Wolff said that figure was concerning: “With the amount that was in the media to buy a ride like this you destroy F1,” he said.
It’s likely Wehrlein will defend his DTM title in 2016 if he misses out on the Manor seat.
