Wehrlein says Mercedes rumours show he is doing a good job

Wehrlein, currently racing for Manor, replaced Lewis Hamilton at the wheel of the Mercedes during the second day of testing at Barcelona following the Spanish Grand Prix.

The move triggered wild rumours that he could replace Hamilton in Monaco this weekend, something he vehemently denied.

"I heard about it, and some people asked me a few times," Wehrlein said when asked about the situation by Motorsport.com. "There was never a discussion.

"Of course after the last race there were some rumours, and then afterwards I did the test, so maybe that's why people talked about it.

"But at the moment [Lewis and Nico] are the best drivers, they are winning championships, so why should they replace them?"

The German does however reckon the speculation was flattering: "If I were to do a bad job, they would never make a rumour like that."

Not "a new Lewis Hamilton"

Wehrlein feels he could have a chance of racing for Mercedes next year if Nico Rosberg leaves the team at the end of his current contract.

"There could be an opportunity, but I cannot influence apart from with my own performance on track," Wehrlein added. "I don't think about it, it distracts you if you think too much about things."

He dismissed suggestions that he is the new Hamilton, however.

He added: "I don't think I'm seen as a new Lewis – maybe as a future Mercedes driver, but not as a new Lewis Hamilton.

"I won the DTM championship last year as a Mercedes junior and a reserve driver for Mercedes, so it's not too far away that if I do a good job on track I could drive for Mercedes."

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble