May 22 (GMM) A Formula 2 driver has counted himself out of speculation about the second Toro Rosso seat.
With Brendon Hartley struggling for pace in 2018, rumours suggest Red Bull could entice Pascal Wehrlein out of DTM to replace him at the junior team Toro Rosso.
“That’s not the intention at the moment,” Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko told Auto Motor und Sport.
But Honda-powered Toro Rosso’s team boss Franz Tost has admitted he has his eye on Japanese Formula 2 driver Nirei Fukuzumi.
Another F2 driver, though, says he isn’t interested in Red Bull or Toro Rosso.
“Would I agree to go in the place of Hartley?” Renault development driver Artem Markelov told Sport FM.
“If Renault gave the go-ahead it’s possible, but of my own volition I would not sit in the Toro Rosso.
“Knowing Dr Marko, knowing how he ruins the careers of young drivers, I don’t need that,” Markelov continued.
“There are also rumours that Christian Horner could leave Red Bull, and that Red Bull wants to leave formula one. So they’re just rumours but I don’t know what the prospects of being at Toro Rosso and Red Bull are,” he said.