Toto Wolff believes his two young protégés are both deserving of their Formula 1 rides and have a great future ahead of them in the sport.
The Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport saw both Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon make the move into Formula 1 in 2016 with the Manor Racing MRT squad, and feels that despite their very different careers prior to their move up, they both warrant their drives.
Wehrlein came across from the DTM Series in which he won the title back in 2015, while Ocon had a more substantial career in single seaters and won consecutive titles in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship and the GP3 Series in 2014 and 2015.
“These two are extraordinary drivers out of a handful of drivers I consider to be in the same league,” said Wolff to Autosport. “They’ve had two very different careers; one went into DTM and the other had an exceptional career in lower formula and GP3.
“From my perspective, they are both very different personalities and very equal in the race car. Both deserve to stay in Formula 1 and have a future.”
Ocon already has his drive for 2017 confirmed having signed a multi-year deal with the Sahara Force India F1 Team, but Wehrlein is yet to sign a deal, although he has been linked to all three teams currently with seats vacant, including at the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
