Ocon is out of contract at Alpine at the end of this season. He was signed by the Mercedes junior programme during his 2015 title-winning GP3 Series campaign and given his relationship with the team’s boss Toto Wolff, he is seen as a candidate to replace Hamilton.
Addressing the speculation for the first time, Ocon said he had always maintained “strong links” to Mercedes but stressed that he remains “totally dedicated” to his current employer, Alpine.
