F1: Symonds anxious to keep Bottas

Losing Valtteri Bottas to Mercedes "would have a heavy impact" on Williams, according to its chief technical officer Pat Symonds.

Mercedes is searching for a replacement for Nico Rosberg following the German's decision to retire following his world championship victory in Abu Dhabi, and Williams has already been approached over the possibility of releasing Bottas. While RACER understands the first offer from Mercedes was turned down, further talks are expected to take place as Toto Wolff would like to finalize the driver line-up before the holidays.

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Amid the Mercedes interest, Symonds says the fact Williams has already replaced the experienced Felipe Massa with 18-year-old Lance Stroll makes it vital that Bottas not leave as well.

"We will have Lance Stroll as a rookie with no experience in F1," Symonds told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Keeping Bottas will be crucial. Losing him would have a heavy impact on the team.

"People often underestimate the importance of continuity in a team. The driver is the final element needed between the engineers and the data. You can replace one with another, but you need to have a reference point. This will be especially true in a season in which they change the rules."

Williams slipped from third in the constructors' championship in 2014 and 2015 to finish fifth last season, which will result in a reduction in prize money. Should Bottas be allowed to leave, Pascal Wehrlein has been linked with a move but only brings one year of F1 experience and at 22 would leave Williams with a very young driver line-up, to the concern of title sponsor Martini.

Felipe Nasr is a more experienced candidate for a potential seat at Williams, with the Brazilian having completed two years at Sauber following a year as Williams reserve driver in 2014. However, Nasr's personal sponsorship from Banco do Brasil has been reduced amid cost-cutting measures from the bank.

Williams approached Jenson Button about returning to the team where he started his career earlier this year, but the 2009 world champion opted to take a year off racing in F1 while acting as a McLaren-Honda ambassador and is not expected to return.