Toto Wolff has ruled out signing up Esteban Ocon to replace Valtteri Bottas for 2018.
Currently, while happy with Bottas’ performance at Mercedes this year after he replaced Nico Rosberg, Wolff says he is not ready to re-sign the Finn for 2018.
Fernando Alonso has been slated as one potential alternative for Mercedes, but another could be Frenchman Ocon, the impressive 20-year-old Force India driver who is also the lead member of Mercedes’ driver development programme.
But when asked if Ocon is a contender, Mercedes chief Wolff told the Finnish broadcaster C More: "No, he’s too young.
"He’s a good guy, and he has a future, but we cannot put him alongside Lewis Hamilton yet," he added.