Bottas and Russell still in the dark for 2022

Who will be alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2022? That’s the question everyone is asking. While George Russell is delivering good performances behind the wheel of his car, Valtteri Bottas is struggling. Positioned in fourth place in the drivers’ standings, his place at Mercedes is no longer guaranteed.

The two drivers will have to wait a few weeks to know their future. Although there have been some contacts with the German team, nothing has been decided yet according to them. In a press conference before the Belgian Grand Prix, the Finnish driver remains optimistic about the future, specifying that this situation was not new to him. Since joining Mercedes, he has been used to signing a one-year contract over the years.

« There is no news to share yet. Maybe I know something, maybe I don’t, but as I said, there is no news to share. For me, it’s not problematic. It’s not new to me, and the situation as a whole, it suits me perfectly. I’m almost sure that in the next three weeks, there will certainly be three victories, and we have a pretty good battle on our hands as a team. So that’s the main goal, but things will eventually work out.

Russell reassuring for the future

The same goes for the Briton. Tipped to be a Mercedes driver instead of his counterpart, Russell is not worried about his future. In the worst-case scenario, he will keep his place at Williams. However, the young driver wants to drive a better car. His experience with Hamilton’s Mercedes last year convinced him.

« No news to share at this stage. I think we are both lucky to be supported by Mercedes and we both trust them to take care of our future, in one way or another. Personally, I have no real problems and whether it’s tomorrow or after Abu Dhabi, I guess you have to trust the people looking out for you.

Russell nonetheless claims that discussions took place during the summer break, but no decision was made. He prefers not to rush and wait for the right moment to decide on his future.

There have obviously been discussions during the summer break, but there is nothing to announce in any way this weekend and probably not next weekend either, to be honest. It is necessary to do things properly rather than quickly.

Formula 1 resumes in Belgium this weekend. Bottas will start with a handicap due to his five-place grid penalty following his collisions in Hungary. The Finn will have to come back stronger to hope to keep his place in the German team. Russell, on the other hand, has everything to gain. His season is already a success by scoring his first points with Williams.