"However, it won't be a Mercedes-Benz seat. At least, not for 2015," Toto added.
Sid had expected as much, so he wasn't too surprised.
If Mercedes-Benz were short-staffed, the chances of securing a seat would be high. Unfortunately, they had no shortage of excellent drivers at the moment.
Getting a seat with one of their customer teams to break into F1 was still an excellent outcome. After all, the seat offered by Rafa was most likely with Sauber anyway.
Since Wu Shi's firm stance had already made an impact, Sid no longer needed to play the hard-liner. A negotiation required a balance of soft and hard tactics. All soft, and you might as well be on your knees; all hard, and you might as well start a fight.
He nodded and said, "We understand your caution and your concerns. A driver who has never competed in F1 does indeed need an opportunity to prove his abilities."
