Wolff tosses out talk of Alonso joining Mercedes... again.

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The Baku paddock worked up a bit of a frenzy when Flavio Briatore posted a picture of himself dining with Mercedes' Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda on Friday.

Speculation was that the flamboyant Italian who still plays an active part in the management of Fernando Alonso's career was wining and dining with the Austrian duo to sound out the Spanish driver's options with German outfit next season.

But , and not for the first time this year, Toto Wolff quickly put the rumors to rest.

"If you have dinner with Flavio it's clear that you talk about Alonso," he said.

"But we are very happy with our current driver line-up. There's no reason to question that. So there wasn't any talking about Fernando joining the team. We talked about Indy."

Alonso's manager meets with Renault

Wolff insisted that new recruit Valtteri Bottas, who won his maiden Grand Prix in Russia in April, was performing to Mercedes satisfaction , with no current reason to justify his replacement for 2018.

"At the moment there is no reason why not Valtteri? I think we just want to give ourselves time to see how the season pans out.

"Probably it's about getting more and more confidence. No reason not to continue with Valtteri.

"He just has to continue what he does now. I wouldn't want to attach it on a specific race result. He's a great addition to the team, and every day he's with us, it becomes more clear.

"I've been in the sport now for seven or eight years, and sometimes taking your time is not a very good, comfortable situation for a driver, but it's good for the team to understand what's happening, and this is why we won't be rushing into any decision when it's not necessary."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.