Esteban Ocon’s futu🍷re now ultimately rests on Williams and the decision it takes with its driver line-up for the 2019 Formula 1 season, according to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.

Ocon looks set to lose his seat to Willi🔯ams driver Lance Stroll for next year, who༒ is expected to follow his father Lawrence to Force India after the Canadian businessman led a consortium to rescue the Silverstone outfit amid its off-track financial issues.

A series of events, including the takeover of Force India, Daniel Ricciardo’s shock switch to Renault and McLaren’s decision to promote Lando Norris alongside Carlos Sainz,๊ all worked against the h꧂ighly-rated Frenchman.

Williams is currently in the process of evaluating which driver it wants to place to partner fe🔯llow Mercedes junior and F2 championship leader George Russell, while Wolff, who has managed Ocon’s career, admitted the final call is “not in our hands”.

“[There is] no [update] - I think we’ve just kind of settled in the situation where we might need to find the right seat for him in 2020 and have a gap year and integrate him a lot in the team, and he can contribut💧e to the team performance,” Wolff said.

“He and us, we’ve kind of got our head around it, even though it’s not perfect, unless a last-minute opportunity opens up at Williams. But it’s not in our hands. It’s for the teamಞ to decide.”

Deputy team principle Claire Williams has previously said the 🀅British squad is not in “any mad rush” to decide upon its seco🎃nd driver but stressed talent will play a predominant role.

But Wolff is not expecting a quick resolution to the situ🔯ation.

“I think Cl🗹aire will take a decision that is in the best interests of Willia🦋ms commercially and driver-wise, and she hasn’t come to that point yet,” he added.

“It’s not going to happen any time soon.”