George Russell says the thought of looking outside of Mercedes if he doesn’t gain promotion for the 20ꦫ22 Formula 1 season “hasn’t even crosseဣd my mind”.

The 23-year-old Brit♓on joined Williams on a three-year deal in 2019 which expires at the end of the year, coinciding withꦆ the end of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas’ respective deals.

Mercedes is set to prioritise talks with Hamilton and Bottas as it looks to finalise its 2022 driv🍃er line-up before the end of the campaign but it also has the option to promote its junior Russell.

Asked if he would consider looking outside of Mercedes if no promotion comes in 2022, Russell ꧟replied: “Mercedes have been loyal to me since day one, so that isn’t even crossing my mind at the ❀moment.

“They have their faith in me, I have my faith in them. Time will tell. It’s been clear since day one since 2016 ﷺwhen I signed for Mercedes, to do the job on the track and the opportunities would come. That’s been the case through GP3, F2, and then with my career in F1.

“Obviously we signed tꦍhe three year deal back in 2018. Let’s wait and see. But at the moment, that thought hasn’t even crossed my mind.”

Russell also moved to rubbish a suggestion he was no longer on speaking terms♛ with Hamilton after deputising for his compatriot in last year’s Sakhir Grand Prix when the seve𒀰n-time world champion tested positive for COVID-19.

The Briton came agonisingly close to claiming a fairytale maiden win on his debut outing for Mercedes in Sakhir and revealed Hamilton had not been in touch fo🌃llowing the race, prompting rumours of a rift between the pair.

But Russell insisted his relationship with Hamilton❀ remains unchanged.

“I think🍎 the questioꦡn towards me was ‘Did you speak to Lewis after Bahrain?, and no we didn’t speak, as we wouldn’t speak after any other race.

"We’re racing each other, if we would see each other in the paddock▨ we would speak. We’ve seen ea🍨ch other this year, a little fist bump along the way, and that’s been the same since 2019, last year before the Bahrain Grand Prix.

“My relationship with Lewis is the same as a lot of theꦬ other drivers up and down the paddock which is completely fine. There are no hard feelings, no issues between myself and Lewis.”