Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says McLaren would be "foolish" not to drop Jenson Button in favour of Stoffel Vandoorne next season, and has promised to find the Belgian a seat if McLaren can't.
Vandoorne won his second season of the GP2 Series in emphatic fashion, with almost double the points of runner-up Alexander Rossi last year, but missed out on a full-time Formula 1 seat this season as McLaren chose to stick with its line-up of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.
The 24-year-old is the prime candidate to replace Button next season, but McLaren have yet to make a decision as to whether they will drop the Briton, which could potentially leave Vandoorne on the sidelines once again, despite scoring McLaren's first point of 2016 when he stood in for Alonso at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Wolff believes McLaren will make the right decision, but says if they don't, he will find Vandoorne a seat, as he has done with Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon at Manor.
"We have the potential of several stars entering Formula 1," Wolff told Het Laatste Nieuws.
"[Pascal] Wehrlein and [Esteban] Ocon are there now, but Stoffel has the most impressive CV. I have followed Stoffel's career since I first saw him driving. I've seen him grow both as a human and as a driver. He has everything to be a star.
"Especially the way he won the title last season in GP2. This kid belongs in Formula 1.
"If I did not have the luxury of both [Nico] Rosberg and [Lewis] Hamilton in my team, then Stoffel is on the short list of drivers that I would want.
"McLaren would be foolish not take him next season. If they don't, I'll make sure he gets into another team."
