Carlos Sainz jr has admitted he is not a serious candidate to replace the Red Bull-bound Daniel Ricciardo at Toro Rosso next year.
With Antonio Felix da Costa struggling in the Renault ’world series’, and Felipe Nasr now ruled out of the running, it had been suggested the impressive teen Spaniard Sainz might be in pole position to succeed Ricciardo.
But Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost this week said leaping straight from GP3 would be "too big a jump" for 19-year-old Sainz, who he also considers too young for F1.
"I am staying on the ground," Sainz, whose father and namesake is the world rally legend, is quoted by Speed Week.
"It’s no secret that formula one is my big goal, and I’m moving closer step by step.
"But at the moment I’m thinking of my last race in GP3, and beyond that three races in the Formula Renault 3.5 and also Macau," he added.
Sainz said he has had talks with Red Bull’s influential Dr Helmut Marko recently, "but it was all about my assignments in Formula Renault and Macau", he revealed.
"There was no mention of formula one," added Sainz.