Toto Wolff trying to place Mercedes-managed driver at Williams - Reports

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is reportedly trying to place Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon alongside Alex Albon in the Williams F1 team for the 2025 season.

The French driver has been the only shining light in what has been a dismal start to the season for the Endstone-based team and even scored their sole point in six races at the 2024 Miami GP.

As reported by F1-Insider, Esteban Ocon's contract with Alpine runs out at the end of the 2024 season, having driven the first race for the team in 2020. However, he has no intentions of extending his stay with them given the dire situation of the French outfit.

Ocon, who is managed by Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, is considered to be one of the options for the Williams F1 team as a replacement for Logan Sargeant in the 2025 season and partner Alex Albon.

The news portal reported that the 26-year-old might find himself driving for the Grove-based team if Wolff can convince his former Mercedes head of strategy and now Williams F1 team principal James Vowles to hire his charge.

Esteban Ocon is also reported to be in the running for a seat at Audi if Carlos Sainz rejects the deal offered by the German manufacturer.

Mercedes team boss chimes in on holding meetings with Max Verstappen

Meanwhile, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has stated that he did not meet with Max Verstappen and his representatives on Monday but refused to claim that he won't meet with him later in the month.

As per Sky Sports, Wolff said:

"There's always plenty of meetings. I can't really say about the second driver [at Mercedes]. I think we've talked about the possibilities. I want to be fair to these guys and not make it look like we are playing chess with humans, because we are not doing that.

"I think we want to take our time, see where Max's thinking goes, and at the same time, monitor the other drivers. Carlos [Sainz] was very strong in Miami again and that's why we are a little bit on an observation mode at the moment."

Toto Wolff has not slowed down his bid to poach the three-time world champion from the Red Bull F1 team as a potential replacement for the departing Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 season despite the Dutchman having a contract with the Austrian outfit until the end of the 2028 season.