“So some years have been earlier, and some years later, so there’s not like a norm.

“We just want to focus on the next three races, it’s going to require a lot from us as a team before we make any decisions together.”

And when asked if he had a “gut feeling” that he would be racing at Mercedes next season, Bottas added: “At the moment, I haven’t really allowed myself to think about that too much, because that can become a distraction, and I’ve learned that.

“It will come at some point, and for now the gut is not saying anything, I just want to win races and get the results I am aiming for personally.”