RUSSELL’S DRIVEN ON BY MERC TALK

EXCLUSIVE BY CLAIRE COTTINGHAM GEORGE RUSSELL says all the noise over his future is just driving him to greater heights.

The Williams driver has been at the centre of speculation linking him with a move to Mercedes at the end of this season – with the highly prized young Brit supposedly poised to replace Valtteri Bottas.

Russell has been repeatedly quizzed about his plans ever since he stepped in for a Covid-stricken Lewis Hamilton at the Sakhir Grand Prix to make his team debut in the penultimate race of last season – and nearly beat Bottas.

That performance sent ripples through the paddock and the 23-year-old says he’s comfortable living with the pressure.

Russell said: “I guess I thrive off it you’ve just got to turn it into positivity, really. Ultimately, everything being spoken about is positive, so that makes things slightly easier.

“But I just think to myself that if I perform on the track, then there’s nothing to worry about. So I put all of my efforts and focus into that and the rest will sort itself out.

“It sounds a bit silly, but that’s the name of the game.

“It’s all about lap time. It’s all about the performance – all the rest is almost secondary.”

Hamilton confirmed his future with Mercedes two weeks ago at the

Austrian Grand Prix, with an extra two years added to his contract.

But Bottas has been left in limbo, with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggesting conversations would begin during the summer break.

Russell (above) is waiting in the wings to see if he receives the call, though he admits to keeping his fingers crossed that however this thing works out it will be done outside of the sport’s August

holiday, which begins after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

But he insisted: “I don’t let it really bother me,

because, as I said, I just need to focus on my job.

“If I let compliments get into my head, is it going to make me fast on the track? Probably not. If anything, it might make me slower.

“I just hope that I’m not in the middle of a contract discussion during the break, because I guess we all want some time off.

“Recently, I got away to my parents’ house, in the middle of nowhere. All I could hear was sheep and cows.

“I just loved it – not being bombarded – and having some space to think and get everything out of my mind.”

Will compliments make me faster on the track? It’s all about lap time