Lewis Hamilton has rubbished suggestions he wanted number one status over George Russell, saying that’s “not really my style”.

The seven-time World Champion will have a new team-mate next season, Mercedes saying farewell to Valtteri Bottas after five years and instead putting junior driver Russell in the car.

Many pundits are predicting the Williams driver will prove more of a challenge for Hamilton than Bottas ever did.

According to former Mercedes driver and 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg, Russell has “nothing to lose and everything to gain” because “nobody expects you to destroy him [Hamilton] but if you manage to, you’ll be the absolute biggest hero of all time.