Mercedes sanction Ocon's Renault move

Mercedes will not block Esteban Ocon from driving for Renault in 2019, Toto Wolff has confirmed. Ocon has driven in Formula 1 with Mercedes-powered teams in the past, with an eye on the Frenchman perhaps joining the Silver Arrows in the future.

With F1's yearly 'silly season' cranking into gear, Renault has emerged as a likely destination for Ocon in 2019, with Carlos Sainz Jr linked to McLaren, provided Daniel Ricciardo stays with Red Bull.

Normandy-born Ocon was linked to Renault earlier in his junior career before joining Mercedes' young-driver program and Wolff has no qualms with him joining a rival manufacturer with the Silver Arrows committed to Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton's partner in 2019.

"We picked Esteban up when gravity fell apart. The first team he was actually associated with was Renault," said Wolff in Friday's press conference.

"We at the time had just started our junior programme and it felt right to put in Pascal [Wehrlein] and Esteban to give them a go.

"Today we are trying to set them a path that will make them very successful long-term, to put them in a position to be world champions maybe one day.

"With Valtteri and Lewis we have a line-up that is stable, that works for us, and at this stage there is no opportunity within Mercedes.

"If he has the opportunity somewhere else to be successful as a racing driver, at another team or another constructor, we wouldn't want to stand in the way."

Force India COO Otmar Szafnauer suggested the team would expect some kind of assistance from the Silver Arrows if Ocon were to leave. Reports have linked Mercedes junior, and F2 standings leader, George Russell with a move to Force India in 2019.

"It's fine for him to go but we've got to agree to that," Szafnauer said of Ocon. "And I'm sure Toto has persuasive tools if that's what we all want to do. If it's mutual.

"We work well together, we had great discussions about Esteban when he came in. If it's mutually beneficial, then of course that's what we're going to do. We won't stand in his way."