Toto Wolff is ticking off drivers from his list! Mercedes is still looking for George Russell’s teammate for 2025. Rumors have been going around for quite some time now, but no final decision has been made. Meanwhile, there is bad news for the new member in the transfer market, Esteban Ocon. The Alpine driver, whose contract ends at the end of the ongoing season, is desperately looking for a seat. Currently, no team has approached him, and at this time, he faces another significant setback.

Ocon was a Mercedes junior in his early years and has been in frequent contact with Toto Wolff. But a tenure at Mercedes is probably not on the list. “I don’t see that happening at the moment. But that’s why we want to take our time with the decision, so that we still have this seat open, whatever happens,” Toto Wolff said in a recent interview. It’s hard to imagine Mercedes choosing a driver like Ocon, whom his current team has fired.

And as Toto stated: “I think we won’t be able to make a decision until November.”  So, this must be a tough call for Wolff, looking for a replacement for the ‘King of Kings’ Lewis Hamilton. And anyone from the transfer market cannot simply fit in the legend’s shoes. Moreover, the new declaration by the Mercedes’ boss, and his striking-off driver’s names, added fuel to the rumors of Kimi Antonelli’s debut.

However, it is still unsure whether Toto Wolff would choose the rookie Kimi Antonelli to directly replace Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile, a question arises amidst the active transfer market. With Esteban Ocon fired and no teams approaching him, what lies ahead for the French driver?

Esteban Ocon’s future in F1 looks bleak right now

Esteban Ocon’s collision with Pierre Gasly at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix led to Alpine firing him. And ever since that incident, Ocon has been subjected to overwhelmingly negative responses from the fans. With a chance at Haas and maybe at Sauber, Esteban Ocon must look for an alternative soon. There had been speculations earlier that Toto Wolff was keeping a close watch on the French while in Alpine. And perhaps Ocon would have had a chance at a seat with Mercedes if he had not been fired.

Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli’s debut seems more possible than Ocon’s entry into the Silver Arrows squad. After the alterations in regulations, the 17-year-old F2 driver can make his debut soon. And for Esteban Ocon? Another F1 mystery waits to unfold.

At the moment, Ocon finds himself at a crossroads in his F1 career, with the doors at Mercedes closing on him. His prospects of joining the team appear remote. As the F1 season progresses and decisions loom, the future remains unclear for Ocon, contrasting sharply with the rising anticipation surrounding potential newcomers like Kimi Antonelli.

Will Esteban Ocon get a seat in 2025 or will he take some sort of sabbatical from F1? What do you think? Share your take in the comments.