McLaren is tangling a tantalising carrot in front of its junior drivers in 2018.
According to Dutchman Nick de Vries, McLaren executive Zak Brown has promised that if he or Lando Norris wins the Formula 2 title this year, the prize will be an F1 seat.
"If I become the Formula 2 champion in 2018, then I will get a seat in formula one. It’s spelled out in my contract in black and white and that’s what Zak told me," de Vries told the Dutch publication Hp De Tijd.
He added: "The same conditions apply to Norris. Lando has some advantage, as his father has a good relationship with Zak and he pays for his career, but if I meet expectations in 2018, then I will be in formula one next season.
"Everything is in my hands," de Vries added.