Pascal Wehrlein has said that he is confident Manor is the right place for his Formula 1 debut.
The reigning DTM champion is stepping up with the strong backing of Mercedes, but some believe that defending his title in 2016 and waiting for a better F1 seat might have been a better option for the German.
However, Wehrlein, 21, told German broadcaster RTL: "I believe that Manor is a very good team for me to begin with, to gain experience and get to know Formula 1 as a driver.
"I also believe that Manor has significantly more potential now than it did in the last two years, and that is why I think it is a good step for me."
Indeed, Manor will use the title-winning Mercedes power unit this year, and has recruited several well-known names from top teams, including boss Dave Ryan and Ferrari's Nikolas Tombazis and Pat Fry.
However, Manor finished dead last in 2015 and was the only team that failed to score points.
