Says Norbert HaugMercedes-Benz can imagine seeing a German-born driver behind the wheel of a silver Formula One car, Norbert Haug said this week.
The Stuttgart-based marque's competition director told Sport1 that while a cooperation with
Michael Schumacher never
came about, he would not rule out succeeding at the pinnacle of motor sport with a different German.
For the past fifty years, a German has not steered a works Mercedes in Formula One, but Haug denied that it is a deliberate policy.
German rivals BMW, though - in contrast - already features on the payroll two countrymen;
Nick Heidfeld and young test driver Sebastian Vettel.
"I see no reason why we should not have a German driver in the cockpit," Haug said, "as soon as the opportunity arises and it makes sense."
Haug, 54, added that most current German race and test drivers had some affiliation with Mercedes-Benz in the past.
McLaren-Mercedes will contest the 2007 world championship with Spaniard
Fernando Alonso and rookie Lewis Hamilton, who is a Briton with Caribbean ancestry.
Source GMM CAPSIS International
