Team boss Toto Wolff is insistent Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton will be Mercedes’ driver line-up in 2021.
All eyes are on the German manufacturer for a different reason this weekend, as Williams driver George Russell stands in for seven-time world champion Hamilton following his positive test for Covid-19 on Monday.
And so far the Briton is delivering, finishing fastest in both practice sessions on Friday before qualifying second, just 0.026s behind Bottas, on Saturday.
His performance is leading some to stir the pot a little by suggesting Russell could stake a claim for a full-time seat at Mercedes, this as Hamilton is still yet to re-sign beyond 2020.
“It’s an enormous opportunity for him and one that I’m sure that he’s looking to make great use of as it benchmarks him against Valtteri,” Red Bull boss Christian Horner said.
“I’m sure Toto’s looking to use it to perhaps negotiate Lewis’s contract in some way, shape or form.
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“So it will be fascinating to see how it plays out but it’s great to see another youngster getting that chance and opportunity.”
However, while admitting Lewis’ positive Covid test has further delayed talks over a new deal, Wolff was quick to deny any potential any possible fallout.
“We’ve discussed having George in the car, we know what we have with Lewis, and we know what he has with the team,” the Austrian said.
“Such a situation would never be utilised as some kind of bargaining power, neither by him nor by us.
“It could go in both directions, and I respect very much who he is, how he drives, and his records.
“Whatever happens this weekend or next has no influence on our talks.”
Then there’s the longer-term future of Bottas, who is only signed with Mercedes until the end of next year.
“I don’t see any rivalry within our team, Valtteri is well-settled. There’s nothing to prove for him,” Wolff maintained.
“For George, it’s a little bit easier because there is no pressure at all, he has nothing to lose.
“If George does well it’s an indication that one day he’s going to be in a good car and hopefully race for victories and Championships but that is far away. He knows that. He just needs to deliver a solid job and not make any mistakes.
“There is no shoot-out. We have total trust in Valtteri and loyalty as we’ve always had and that is our position.
“We know that we [will] race next year with Lewis and Valtteri. Where we are in 2022 is all going to depend on where our own season in ’22 is going to go and not by George’s performance on an oval in Bahrain and in a season final in Abu Dhabi.”