Briitsh Grand Prix: George Russell ‘doesn’t think I’ll be going anywhere’

At last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said it was likelier that Russell would be at the team next season than Verstappen, but did not deny he was speaking to the world champion’s representatives.

Russell said: “I don’t take that personally because I made it clear from the beginning. I’m happy to be team-mates with anybody.

“I want to continue with Mercedes into the future. The fact is, Toto has never let me down. He’s always given me his word, but he’s also got to do what’s right for his team, which includes me. But it also includes the thousands of people who work for Mercedes.

“For me, it’s nothing to worry about because I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere. And whoever my team-mate will be, it doesn’t concern me either.

“I know where their loyalty lies. It doesn’t need to be public. It doesn’t need to be broadcast to everybody.

“I feel I’m performing better than ever. And it’s as simple as that really. Performance speaks for everything.”

Russell is fourth in the drivers’ championship, nine points behind Verstappen, and won last month’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Williams driver Alex Albon, who is a friend of Russell and a former team-mate of Verstappen, pointed to Russell’s performance as team-mate to Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for three years, as well as the fact he has convincingly been ahead of his new team-mate Kimi Antonelli this season.

Albon said in a BBC Sport interview: “George is somehow underrated. I’m not just defending a friend here, but I don’t know a driver who can beat a seven-time world champion and be not sure of a seat.

“He’s doing a fantastic year this year as well.

“And as much as Kimi’s getting praise, George is still beating him pretty convincingly. So I guess you can sound me standing up for a friend of mine. But even if he wasn’t my friend, I’d still be saying the same words.

“I just hope the delay’s coming from him asking for a lot of money. And if he is, he deserves it.

“Otherwise, George is actually one of the most adaptable drivers on the grid. And wherever it ends up being, I think he should be considered as at the very least a top-three driver on the grid.”