Pascal Wehrlein says his chances of moving onto the Formula One grid next year still hang in the balance.
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has previously mentioned the 50-50 likelihood as he negotiates with Manor for a race seat for the new DTM champion.
But competition for the seats is high, with Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi both bringing funding to the British backmarker in 2015, and now the Indonesian government promising 15 million EUR ($16.4 million) if Rio Haryanto makes his debut next year.
When asked about his chances, Mercedes reserve Wehrlein admitted his future was not clear yet.
"I hope so, of course, " Wehrlein told Germany's Sport1.
"So far, nothing is certain. Formula One, DTM or possibly GP2 are currently the best options. It could also be a re-run of this year when I combined DTM and F1.
"My wish of course is to be a regular driver in Formula One, but currently it is as Toto Wolff has said - 50-50."
However, Wolff warned recently that if Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg continue to constantly bicker, Mercedes may need to change the lineup of its works F1 team.
"I'm really not thinking about that," Wehrlein added. "My goal is to get to Formula One and gain experience -- probably first in a customer team.
"But one day I do want to drive for Mercedes."
