Mercedes Motorsport boss Toto Wolff believes the manufacturer's DTM champion and F1 reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein has but a small chance of joining the ranks of Formula 1 in 2016.
Wehrlein was considered to be a prime candidate for a seat at Manor given the British team's switch to Mercedes power for next year, but the current hefty price tag associated with a drive with the British outfit is out of Mercedes' reach.
Wolff suggested a €4 million budget had been allocated by Mercedes for its protégé, an amount the German manager said was 'by far not enough' to secure a seat with Manor.
Wolff also expressed concerns over rumors that Indonesian GP2 racer Rio Haryanto was also linked to a Manor drive, having the full support of his country's government to the tune of £10 million!
"With the amount that was in the media to buy a ride like this, you destroy Formula 1," Wolff told Speedweek.
Should Wehrlein fail to secure an F1 drive for next season, he would most probably return once again to the DTM series to defend his title, perhaps alo,gside fellow Mercedes protégé Esteban Ocon.
2015 F1 season: F1i's drivers review 10-1
2015 F1 season: F1i's drivers review 21-11
Use the red tabs on either side of the screen to scroll through more Formula One news and features
Click here for a gallery of the McLaren MP4-X
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
