Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, have called for a solution that allows Esteban Ocon to stay on the Formula 1 grid in a competitive car after his performance in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The young Frenchman, who made his debut at this race with Manor two years ago, scored his best result on a Saturday at Spa-Francorchamps, mastering the wet conditions in Q3 to claim third for Force India.

During his career, Ocon, who is part of the Mercedes young driver program, has already gained a reputation as a fast and consistent driver, scoring points in all but three of the 20 races last season.

He is also considered in the same breath as other young stars such as Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, with Esteban actually beating the Dutchman to the European F3 title in 2014.

However, as the Silverstone-based team with whom he drives undergoes a transformation after being bought by Lawrence Stroll, there is a concern the 21-year-old could be left out in the cold should the Canadian decide to instantly shift his son Lance from Williams.

There is speculation that move could come as soon as Monza next weekend but now Ocon has let slip that he won't be staying with Force India next year, after microphones overheard a conversation with Vettel on the grid.

"Next year, where are you going? You are staying here?," Vettel asked in a transcript published Motorsport.com.

"No, it [the seat] is taken," Ocon replied.

When Sebastian then asked "by who?", he added: "Have a guess! The one who bought it!" 

Speaking in the press conference, Hamilton then backed the man many tip to one day replace him at the German manufacturer.

"Unfortunately we're in a weird place in F1 where some teams, rather than take the up-and-coming kid, they take the money," he noted.

"It means the structure of the sport is probably wrong, in terms of how the funds are distributed.

"I've not read who has signed where and what seats are available but he needs to be in a top car as he is one of the top drivers here.

"You can't let someone who has more money leap in front of a better driver. It shouldn't happen. The governing body definitely has to [address it] somehow."

Vettel then agreed, pointing to his ability to perform in difficult situations such as that seen in Q3.

"From the outside, it's difficult to judge but I think he's doing everything right," the Ferrari driver said.

"It's very good to get this qualifying session under the belt, get the car in P3 where it doesn't belong, I think that shows enough in a session like that that can be quite chaotic and you can easily do a mistake.

"To hold it together is crucial and that's what he did."