Haug admits Merc’s eye on Vettel

Sat, 21 February 2009, 03:31

Feb.21 (GMM) Norbert Haug has admitted his desire to unite a German formula one driver with a Mercedes-powered cockpit

Haug, the German marque’s competition chief in collaboration with McLaren, told Bild newspaper that “our desire and goal is to see a top German driver in a McLaren-Mercedes in three to four years.”nnMcLaren currently fields a British-Finnish driver combination, and the closest a German got to a silver car in recent times was the failed bid to lure the now retired Michael Schumacher

However, Haug has never hidden the fact that, when Fernando Alonso created a vacancy at the end of 2007, unfruitful efforts to sign Germans Nico Rosberg or Sebastian Vettel were made

“We are very, very happy with our drivers at the moment; we have a very strong pairing,” Haug said of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen

Haug admits, however, that he has been impressed by 21-year-old Vettel, the 2008 Monza winner who this year is commencing a two-year tenure with Red Bull Racing

“I think he is very genuine and already a very, very strong driver,” the German said

“He combines his talent with his work in a way that very few do. There is certainly a similarity with Michael Schumacher.”n

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