Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are out of contract at the end of the 2021 F1 season. However, it looks as though the world champion is set to stay put meaning all attention turns to who will be his teammate next year. Will Bottas get another year? Or could George Russell get his chance with Mercedes?
Video: Garage gossip – Mercedes’ 2022 F1 driver dilemma
Drivers’ Standings
| # | Driver | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Max Verstappen | 226.5 | |
 | Lewis Hamilton | 221.5 | |
 | Valtteri Bottas | 138 | |
| Lando Norris | 132 | |
 | Sergio Perez | 118 | |
 | Charles Leclerc | 104 | |
 | Carlos Sainz | 97.5 | |
 | Daniel Ricciardo | 82 | |
 | Pierre Gasly | 66 | |
| Fernando Alonso | 50 |
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Chances are, given that the cap on spending is likely sometime soon (probably 2023) to prevent Hamilton having his wage demands met, he will instead insist on retaining Bottas as his useless teammate. If Mercedes can’t keep him with money they will have to yield elsewhere.