Sky’s Ted Kravitz repeated the claim from the Dutch media suggeಌsting that De Vries is under intense pressure to avoid being replaced mid-season.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner denied that sister team Al🌠phaTauri were inten🌳t on a change, while Franz Tost said “it’s up to Nyck”.

“Nyck de Vries, we talk ab💝out ‘Drive to Survive’,” Kravitz said.

“He really is driving to survive. The rumour that has come out of the Dutch press is that🧸 Nyck has been told that he’s got the next four races on circ൩uits he knows – here, Silverstone, Hungary and Spa to really transform his season.

“Otherwise he’s out! They’re going to put Liam Lawson in. That’s the🍸 rumour🔜 that’s coming from the Dutch press.

“Franz Tost was asked directly about this in the pen, and he ❀sa🌳id ‘it is up to Nyck to make the story go away’.

“If N🦩yck performs, then this story will go away and he will not be under threat. He will keep the seat for the rest of the season.

“If Nyck does not perform, he wouldn’t continue - he wouldn’t finish the thought. H🌄e said Nyck needs to perform. The driver decides for h🌊imself, Nyck decides for himself, Franz said.

“If he’s slow, then he's in trouble. If he’s quick, and🐎 has performance, then he stays.”

Red Buꦯll ch🌸ief Helmut Marko had criticised rookie De Vries, although Horner claimed in Austria “there is no plan to replace Nyck”.

Tost, the AlphaTauri boss, was typically blunt: "If he shows a good performance, if he scores points,𓃲 and weꦚ see that he can have a successful future, then we do not discuss a replacement.

"But of course, he has to show performance."

De Vries begins the F1 Au♓strian Grand Prix on Sunday🐻 from the back of the grid.