Nico Hulkenberg silent on Ferrari speculation

Speaking ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, the 25-year-old German prospect refused to be drawn on speculation that he is the frame to replace Felipe Massa at the Italian team.

"I'm just concentrating on my job here and that's all for now," he said. "If you do a good job, we've seen it with Sergio [Perez], things can happen. Journalists put you into various seats but it's all hypothetical."

The Force India driver did admit that news of Lewis Hamilton switching from McLaren to Mercedes, and Perez subsequently replacing the Briton in the Woking squad, had moved the driver market forward.

"Obviously there has been quite a lot of movement last week and obviously we all know that," he said.

"There is still lots of speculation out there but all I can say is that for my future nothing has been announced yet. We have to wait a bit more.

"There is talks with this team [Force India]. There is still a chance that I will race here, but I think with the movement that there has been last week, things happened."

Hulkenberg, who like team-mate Paul di Resta might have been considered for drives at McLaren and Mercedes, said he was surprised by the news.

"Obviously it has been big news," he said. "I don't follow the driver market situation every day like you guys do so a little bit of a surprise there yes, but it doesn't affect me initially."

Asked whether after two full seasons racing with Williams and Force India, he felt ready to move up the grid, Hulkenberg simply replied: "Yep."