Pascal Wehrlein says he’s confident his performances for Sauber in 2017 will help his career prospects despite looking like missing out on a Formula 1 ꦯdriver next season after being shuffled out of the Swiss squad.

With Sauber strengthening 🥂its ties to Ferrari’s parent company the FCA Group via a technical and title sponsorship deal with Alfa Romeo from next season, Merceꦦdes-backed Wehrlein has left the team after one season. The German’s vacant race seat has been picked up by reigning Formula 2 champion Charles Leclerc.

Effectively one spot remains to be filled for the 2018 F1 grid which is at Williams alongside Lance Stroll but with the British team aiming to add experience to its driver line-up a comeback by Robert Kubica looks likely after impressi✅ng during the post-season Abu Dhabi test last week.

While ♚Wehrlein remains on the Williams shortlist for next season, Mercedes team principal 𒁏Toto Wolff has conceded his chances of joining the British team were ‘tiny’.

Speaking during the Abu Dhabi race weekend, Wehrlein was determined to stick to his ‘Plan A’ inside the Mercedes fold despite facing the prospect of returning to DTM wher🦋e he clinched the dr🏅ivers’ title in 2015.

“I'm happy with the last two years, with my 𝕴performance this year and I'm sure it will help with my future,” Wehrlein said. “I’m still in discussions, in talks. There's clear♉ly plan A and about the other plans we haven’t talked about yet.

“I'm always pro-active so I always like to be involved in everything and know about everything, the talks, discus🐈sions and everything. I like to be involved so I'm not sitting backಌ and saying they will do it for me and I don't have to worry.”

Wehrl🍰ein scored Sauber’s only points in 2017 with two top ten finishes coming in Spain and Azerbaijan but his efforts weren’t e♐nough to prevent the Swiss squad ending the year bottom of the F1 World Constructors’ championship for the first time in its history.