All of the noise coming out of Mercedes is that Lewis Hamilton was the driving factor behind his contract extension only being for a further year and that casts huge doubt over whether he will continue his F1 career beyond this season.

The 36-year-old can surpass Michael Schumacher and move into a league of his own if he wins an eighth world titles.

Mercedes are expected to continue their dominance as Hamilton steaks his claims to being the greatest driver of all time.

But then he may step away from F1 and the Silver Arrows would have a huge void to fill.

Many drivers have been linked with making the move to join Mercedes but first the Brackley-based outfit must prove they can deliver a Championship-winning car under the new regulations, which come into force next year.

If Toto Wolff’s team have the strongest car once again then it will be very hard for any driver to turn them down.

JUST IN: F1 news: Vettel already having Aston Martin impact as Hamilton warned

The 47-year-old makes a valid point as Verstappen is likely to be the heir to Hamilton’s throne.

And the 23-year-old has a clause in his contract which could let him walk away from Red Bull for free if he finishes outside the top three in the Drivers’ Championship.

It would make complete sense if Wolff made enquiries for both Verstappen and Russell with a view to letting them race alongside one another.

However, that decision would also be a huge gamble – as Hamilton’s partnership with Nico Rosberg showed in 2016 – but even that pairing paid off in the standings.