Formula 2 winner Charles Leclerc feels he will be ready to step up to Grand Prix racing next season, providing a seat can be found for the Ferrari junior.
The 19-year-old is blitzing the field this year in F2, and winning the championship would undoubtedly set him up nicely for a move to F1 although the Monegasque remains calm in the face of speculation.
"In my career I have always taken it step by step, so now I am trying to win the Formula 2 title and then I would like to go to F1," he told Italy's Corriere della Sera.
Asked if, as a F1 team boss, he would sign him up for 2018, Leclerc answered: "I would, because I feel ready.
"Would I be willing to wait another year? I would prefer no, because if I win the F2 championship I cannot defend the title, so waiting would not help me."
Rumours of a possible opening for Leclerc at Sauber have gathered pace since the Swiss canceled its engine supply deal with Honda and extended its partnership with Ferrari.
Ultimately, the House of Maranello is obviously where Charles Leclerc would like to take up residency.
"The big dream is to wear red and I hope that one day it will become reality. But I also think of everything, as long as it is F1."
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