The Williams driver is e🌼xpected to be confirmed as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate for 20ꦯ22 in the near-future to form an all-British line-up at Mercedes.

Speculation surrounding the driver market intensified this week in the build up to the Dutch Gran🦹d Prix, with Kimi Raikkonen’s retirement announcement leaving a spare seat at Alfa Romeo which Valtteri Bottas is set to take.

Russell, who has been linked with gr♚aduation t🧔o a Mercedes works seat for months following his impressive performances for Williams, revealed he knows which team he will be at next year.

“I know where I’ll be driving next year,” he confirmed during Thu♒rsday’s press conferences at Zandvoor🙈t.

Push♕ed for an answ🦂er on when exactly he was informed, Russell drew a lengthy pause before replying: “Verbally before Spa.

“I’m not going to sit here and lie and notꩲ tell the truth,” he added.

“The truth is there’s nothing to announce, but I’m aware of the situation of where I🎉’ll be racing ﷽next year, and I was informed just prior to Spa.”

Earlier in the day, seven-time world champion Hamilton issued a 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:glowing endorseme🐟nt for Russell, saying he would be open to the 23-year-old Briton🍎 becoming his new teammate.

Hamilton also downplayed title rival Max Verstappen’s suggestion that Russell’s🌜 expected arrival would make his life “very difficult” and potentially disrupt the ꦯteam harmony that currently exists at Mercedes.

Keen not to give any further detail away, Russell reiterated the “huge” respect he has for Hamilton and said partnering him at Mercedౠes would be an “incredible opportunity”.

“I have a huge amount of respect for Lewis and everything he’🐻s achieved and I’ve seen him working incredibly hard with the engineers when I was a junior driver,” Russell explained.

“He definitely doesn’t just rely o꧃n his immense natural talent, he goes above and beyond to try and find the extra bit.

“I guess for any d🅺river, you want the opportunity to go against the best and learn from the best and I think that would be an incredible opportunity to be there.

“But don’t take anything rom me saying this now as this is the same thing I’ve said for the last 3 years,” he concluded. “Lewis is the go꧃at and it’s be a huge op to go alongside him and learn from him.”