Mercedes won't rush into a decision over its 2017 driver line-up, following Nico Rosberg's decision to retire from Formula 1 with immediate effect.
The 2016 champion announced on Friday that he would no longer be racing in the sport, to instead focus on 'home life' with his wife and daughter, having achieved his life-long dream of winning a Drivers' Championship.
Toto Wolff says Mercedes will evaluate their options before announcing Lewis Hamilton's team-mate.
"For the team, this is an unexpected situation but also an exciting one," said Wolff. "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."
The highly-prized seat will likely attract a lot of attention amongst drivers up and down the grid, though it's likely Mercedes will call upon reserve driver and Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein, who has yet to agree a new contract with Manor after missing out on a promotion to Force India next year.
