Stoffel Vandoorne is “100%” certain his short-term future at the McLaren Formula 1 team is safe and dismissed a suggestion he could be replaced for next week’s Italian Grand Prix.

Vandoorne is fighting to remain at McLaren in 2019 as it evaluates its reserve driver Lando Norris as a potential partner for the already-confirmed Carlos Sainz Jr when Fernando Alonso leaves F1

Mercedes junior Esteban Ocon has also been linked to the second McLaren seat, with rumour in the Belgian GP paddock suggesting a driver merry-go-round could be triggered as early as next week’s race in Italy.

Lance Stroll is expected to race for Racing Point Force India next season, after his father Lawrence invested in the team, but said on Thursday nothing was guaranteed in terms of finishing the current season with Williams.

The suggestion is that should Stroll change teams, Ocon would be shuffled out of Force India – with McLaren, in place of Vandoorne, his mooted destination for the rest of 2018.

Asked if he could guarantee he would be racing at Monza for McLaren, Vandoorne said: “I don’t have any doubt.

“I think these days there’s always a lot of rumours and a lot of question marks in the press but from my side I’m 100% confident.

“The only thing I can do is to focus on my job and I think I’ve shown that I’m very, very close to Fernando.

“Some of your colleagues have made up some statistics to show how close team-mates have been with Fernando and I think I’ve been pretty much right up there.”

Vandoorne has had a difficult two seasons compared to Alonso, particularly in terms of results.