Nico Rosberg not ruling out full-time TV role

Nico Rosberg is not ruling out replacing Formula 1 legend Niki Lauda as a full-time television pundit on German television.

During the broadcast of the 2017 finale in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, Mercedes team chairman Lauda shocked viewers by saying it was his last race as a pundit for free-to-air network RTL.

Since then, Bild newspaper has been running a poll about who should replace him, and Rosberg - who worked throughout the Abu Dhabi weekend for RTL - topped the charts with 47%.

"It's great," the 2016 world champion enthused. "It seems that people liked what I did, but it was also fun for me.

"I still don't know what I'm going to do next year, but I'm basically open to anything."

However, he pointed out that the first thing RTL needs to organise is a new contract with Liberty Media for 2018.

"At the moment it's a theoretical discussion as there are no TV rights for RTL," said Rosberg.

The German pay broadcaster Sky also does not have a F1 deal in place for 2018.