ALEX Lynn is concentrating on his own GP2 Series performance as the season draws to a close rather than getting sidetracked by issues involving potential Formula One race seats for next year.

The 23-year-old from Dunmow heads to Malaysia this weekend for the penultimate round of 2016 GP2 action and knows a strong finish to the season could be important in driving forward his dreams of racing in F1.

As well as his commitments in GP2 with the DAMS Racing team he is also development driver for the Williams Martini Formula One team and with the Oxfordshire outfit looking for a replacement for the retiring Felipe Massa for the 2017 season, Lynn could be a possible contender for the vacant seat.

However, he knows the best way to continue impressing Williams team bosses is by performing in GP2 and any F1 testing that he under takes.

When asked when his plans are for next year, Lynn told the Braintree and Witham Times: “It’s not been decided yet; there are a few options on the table.

"At this point, there’s no rush to finalise anything.”

And he went on to add: “I’m always in contact with the (Williams) team as their current Development Driver, but nothing’s yet confirmed about the Williams driver line-up for next year, so let’s see what happens.

"F1 is my goal, as it’s always been, but that’s true of most drivers.

"So I’m just concentrating hard on all the factors that I can personally influence to make it happen, with as many strong race and test performances as possible, rather than worrying about what anyone else is doing."

To put himself in the best possible position for a move into Formula One, Lynn knows a strong finish to the GP2 season could be important as he heads to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia this weekend.

Having come into 2016 as one of the title favourites, it has proved to be a tough campaign for the Essex driver, with the DAMS team finding it difficult to have consistent pace in their cars to battle at the very front of the pack on a regular basis.

Lynn heads into the penultimate round sitting eighth, but is only 22 points off fourth and has shown his talent by still securing victories and podium finishes.

“The lack of consistency isn’t ideal but I think a few of the top drivers have been in the same position," added Lynn.

"There will always be an element of the sport that relies on luck, but we just have to work to master every single area that we can influence.

"There’s still a lot that we have achieved and can still achieve.

"I feel that personally, I’m driving better than I did last season, so to keep that personal level of improvement has been very gratifying.”

And he is now looking to finish his season on a high.

He said: “It’s really important (to finish strongly) as this is a big year for me but I’m just focused on the closing races of this season and doing a good job.

“The target is always to win so that’s what I hope to do in the next two rounds.

"We’ve identified a few improvements to the car, so I’m looking forward to see how they all pan out.

"And obviously it’s going to be important to stay out of trouble in order to maximise our chances of doing well.

"If there’s one thing that I’m annoyed about this year, it’s that we’ve spent a bit too much time getting caught in other peoples’ incidents.

“I’m not exactly where I want to be (in the championship) but it’s still all to play for in the closing rounds.

"Things haven’t gone to plan at every race but I feel the car is getting stronger so we're hoping to put in some good performances.

"We’ve identified a couple of issues and a few things to improve, so that should stand us in good stead for the remainder of the season.”