Pascal Wehrlein has been confirmed at Sauber for the forthcoming Formula One season in a move which all but confirms Valtteri Bottas is to join Mercedes.
Wehrlein , the 22-year-old member of the Mercedes young driver programme, had been mooted as a potential team-mate of Lewis Hamilton following Nico Rosberg's shock decision to retire after winning the world championship.
But Sauber's announcement that German driver Wehrlein , who competed for cash-strapped Manor last season, will race for them this year, paves the way for Bottas to complete his move from Williams to Mercedes.
It is understood that confirmation of Bottas's switch to the world champions will be announced later this week.
"I am very delighted at being a part of the Sauber F1 Team for the upcoming Formula One season," Wehrlein said. "It is a new challenge in a new team, and I am really excited and looking forward to this new adventure.
"Our objective is to establish ourselves in the midfield and to score points on a regular basis. That being said, I will do my best to support Sauber.
"Now I am looking forward to meeting everyone in the team and to tackling the preparations for the 2017 season. I want to say a big thank you to Sauber for trusting in me and giving me this great chance. And surely, a huge thanks also goes to Mercedes for the support."
Wehrlein will team up with Swede Marcus Ericsson at Sauber for the new campaign which gets under way in Melbourne on March 26.
"We are very pleased to confirm Pascal Wehrlein as our second race driver for the 2017 Formula One World Championship," Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn added. "Pascal has shown his talent throughout his career - in single seater racing as well as in the DTM.
"Last year in his rookie Formula One season, he proved his potential by scoring one point in the Austrian GP in Spielberg. There is surely more to come from Pascal, and we want to give him the chance to further grow and learn at the pinnacle of motorsport.
"I am confident Marcus and Pascal will form a solid combination for 2017."
Meanwhile, McLaren have announced they will launch their new car on February 24. Hamilton's Mercedes team break cover with their challenger for the 2017 campaign one day earlier at Silverstone.
Source: PA
