Niki Lauda says he is confident Mercedes will head into 2019 with the same drivers. Currently, talks with Lewis Hamilton have been delayed and there is speculation Valtteri Bottas might be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, a Mercedes junior, or even Fernando Alonso. But boss Toto Wolff played down the Alonso rumours. 'I think he's a great driver,' he said, 'and if the fallout of the previous relationship did not exist then I think he would have ten championships.' Wolff may be referring to Alonso's broken paddock relationships as a result of his previous stints at McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari. He explained: 'F1 has become a game of relationships and a long-term strategy is needed. And I think...
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