Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are in agreement that George Russell’s pace warrants him taking the seat alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2022.

The decision between Russell and Valtteri Bottas for the slot next to Hamilton is yet to be announced by Mercedes, and the two drivers did not give much away when paired together at Thursday’s press conferences.

Russell is yet to be out-qualified by a Williams team-mate and has put in several sterling performances this season, narrowly missing out on the points before earning an eighth-place finish at the last race in Hungary.

Ferrari driver Leclerc believes his consistency has warranted a drive with the works Mercedes team next year.