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Nico Rosberg-Lewis Hamilton pairing fixed at Mercedes until 2018

Will Merc face dilemma with both contracts expiring in same year?

Image: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg could be team-mates in 2019

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton may have to fight it out for a seat at Mercedes in 2019 after the German signed a two-year extension with the world champions.

Although Hamilton and Rosberg, whose relationship has come close to imploding during Mercedes' emergence as the sport's new dominant force, will continue as team-mates for another two seasons, the pair will enter the final year of their respective deals at the same time.

It's a devilish detail which raises the prospect of the pair, who will both be 33 in 2018, having to go head-to-head for a single seat if they wish to continue with the Silver Arrows.

"It's a strange stance," said Sky F1's Paul di Resta. "Is that a bit of pressure in the final year to make one stand out and then they'll replace one?"

Full story: Rosberg pens new two-year deal

Rosberg is understood to have pushed for a three-year deal with the team while Hamilton has already admitted he wants to see out his F1 career with the Silver Arrows.

"I've obviously signed for another three years with Mercedes - after that I see myself staying for another three or four years," the three-times world champion said. "While I'm 37 I'll still be relatively young so I want to be challenged by something else."

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says that Nico Rosberg re-signing for Mercedes was never in doubt.

Should they reach the end of 2018, and their sixth year together, the Mercedes duo would be on course to beat Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello's record of 104 races as F1 team-mates.

That would come despite the rising tension and the fact Rosberg and Hamilton have courted controversy ever since teaming up three years ago, crashing twice and facing the threat of team orders during the 2016 campaign alone.

However, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had no hesitation in retaining the line-up.

"I'm never confident that we're on top of the issues," the Mercedes team boss told Sky Sports F1. "It's rock and roll or they rock the boat but we are conscious in that decision.

P1: Hamilton strikes first blow

"We know that sometimes it can be a more bumpy road having two number one drivers in the car that keep pushing each other."

Sky F1's Martin Brundle added: "He's got two very different animals to control there, they're different characters. The team do have to manage some problems from time to time but for me it's a nice problem to have.

"I'm not surprised at all that they've gone to some lengths to make sure they have the same two drivers for a while."

Rosberg penned his new deal on Thursday night following months of negotiations between himself, former F1 driver Gerhard Berger and Mercedes.

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F1 Championship leader Nico Rosberg extends his contract with Mercedes.

The championship leader can now focus on his pursuit of a first world title, currently leading Hamilton by one point ahead of this weekend's Hungarian GP.

"It means Mercedes are guaranteed to have the world champion in the car next year," Brundle said. "He's German of course, so that suits the brand and teams like continuity.

"It's just much easier, especially with big regulation changes for 2017, to just be able to slot both drivers back in again."

Watch the Hungarian GP live on Sky Sports F1. The race starts at 1pm on Sunday, with build-up underway at 11:30am. Or watch the race without a contract for £6.99 on NOW TV. 

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