Mercedes role has revived Esteban Gutierrez's F1 ambitions

Never give up they say, and former Sauber and Haas driver Esteban Gutierrez is pressing on with his ambitions to get back into Grand Prix racing following his recent work with Mercedes.

For the past six months, the Mexican has been conducting simulator work for the Silver Arrows squad at its Brackley base, and the 26-year-old feels he may have an opportunity to rejoin the grid in the future.

"This weekend I’ll be driving the world championship car of [my last] year, the one that I was following all year as the reference car," Gutierrez told Motorsport.com.

“I’ve been working with the team [Mercedes] from the beginning of this year as a development driver, doing a lot of simulator, focusing on my preparation and getting to know the team.

"It’s great to be back and I want to thank the team for this opportunity."

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Gutierrez, who left the Haas F1 team at the end of 2016, ventured into Formula E and IndyCar. He admits however that his heart is still firmly entrenched in Formula 1.

"Both were great opportunities to try what is out there," he said.

"I really enjoyed the new challenges, but my aim is Formula 1. I feel that I have a lot to give as a driver in Formula 1 and giving up is not an option for me.

"Anything is possible. That’s my goal and I am working hard for it."

Given his development work with Mercedes, a testing role with the German outfit in 2019 would appear as a logical next step.

"I’m hoping for that. My objective is to contribute the team as much as I can."

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