Valtteri Bottas "performs better" when his future in Formula 1 is secured

There was pressure on Bottas' seat at Mercedes - mainly from Esteban Ocon - but the Silver Arrows decided to give the Finnish driver a bit more time at the Brackley-based squad.

Partnering Lewis Hamilton is never going to be easy, but Bottas has given it a good go this season, recording two wins right at the start of the season in Australia and then Azerbaijan; and there's no doubting he's improved.

"It is always the same," Bottas said to GPToday.net. "I cannot honestly say if it is different or not. The only thing I can say is that what I do is not going to have an impact on my future, since everything is done.

"It is impossible to say how it can affect your thinking process, the way you face the races, the preparation of a weekend if there are negotiations in between or not.

"Knowing myself, I perform better when everything is done and there are no things that bother me in that regard. So I definitely feel better now than before (I did) in the summer break."