Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff admits his focus is on Esteban Ocon’s future in Formula 1 than signing Mick Schumacher.
The Austrian has made it clear previously that the son of seven-time world champion Michael is very much welcome to join the young driver program at the German manufacturer.
However, with a year or two yet before Schumacher Jr. realistically steps up to F1, as he prepares for F2 in 2019, Wolff has bigger concerns on his mind.
“He has won his F3 title with a Mercedes engine in the rear, but for now, you have to give him time to develop,” he told Bild newspaper.
“In our junior program there is currently very little space. My priority is to find a seat for Esteban Ocon in F1 again in 2020.”
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The Frenchman is facing a year off the grid having been dropped by Racing Point for Lance Stroll and will spend the next year as a reserve at the Brackley-based squad.
Recent speculation has also suggested Ocon’s plight has pushed Schumacher towards favouring Ferrari’s Academy over Mercedes, particularly having seen Charles Leclerc’s rapid rise to a seat at the Scuderia for next season.