© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
At the Belgian Grand Prix Thursday press conference Valtteri Bottas and George Russell were asked if there are any news about Mercedes’ 2022 seat.
It’s no secret that Mercedes will choose between George Russell and Valtteri Bottas when it comes to their 2022 seat next to Lewis Hamilton.
The two drivers’, who were paired in the Belgian Grand Prix Thursday press conference, were asked if there are any news on who will drive for Mercedes next year.
“There is no news to share yet,” Bottas said.
“Maybe I know something, maybe I don’t. But like I said, there’s no news to share.”
When asked if there are no news because the decision has not been made, or because he is unable to share publicly yet, the Finn said:
“There is no news to share. I don’t need to clarify any reasons for that.
“I think the same for me and George, that we have a job to do here, and there’s no news, and we’re going to focus on racing and getting maximum points for the team we are racing with,” concluded Bottas.
Russell was also coy when asked if he has any news.
“No news to share at this stage,” the young Briton said.
“[We were] still obviously in discussions over the summer break, but there’s nothing to announce one way or another this weekend, and probably not next weekend either, to be honest.
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“I think it’s no problem. Do things right rather than quickly, let’s say.
“We’re both fortunate that we’re both sort of looked after in ways by Mercedes, and we both trust them to look after our futures, one way or another.
“From my side, speaking for myself, there are no real problems. Whether it’s tomorrow, whether it’s after Abu Dhabi, I guess you have to trust the people who are looking out for you.”
Bottas agrees the waiting is “not problematic”.
“The situation overall, I’m fine with it completely,” the Finn said.
“Just really head down and focus for the weekend, and I’m pretty sure for the next weeks, they will definitely fly by with the triple header.
“And we have a pretty good battle on our hands as a team, so that’s the main focus. Things eventually will sort themselves out, and we’ll see.”
In as interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said the decision will be made “very quickly”, but it is not yet known when it will be announced publicly.
“As long as we are transparent with Valtteri and George, we will be able to handle the situation,” the Austrian said.
“The hardest thing for a driver is to not know whether or not he will have a seat. We will decide very quickly.
“But the announcement will depend on the circumstances,” concluded Wolff.
