Speaking to Sky Sports during the Las Vegas weekend, he admitted that he hadn’t particularly enjoyed the period when various rumours about his future were circulating, but said he had taken the situation in stride and accepted it as part of the game.

"It wasn’t really a distraction," he said. "There was obviously a lot of noise. Of course, would I have enjoyed fewer questions on the first day about it? Probably, but that’s how the game goes. And now I’m in a much stronger position that I won’t find myself in that position again. So that’s a good thing."

When asked to confirm whether he had received a substantial pay raise from Wolff in his new contract, the Brit replied: "He was very generous to be honest. He’s doing all right himself to be fair, so that’s true — he can afford to dish out a little bit.

For months, there had been talk of a possible move for Max Verstappen to Brackley — rumours that were ultimately disproven when the four-time world champion personally put them to rest, confirming he would remain at Red Bull.

It then became only a matter of time before Mercedes confirmed their current driver line-up for the next season, an announcement that came in mid-October.

Despite the speculation and the stir surrounding Verstappen, Russell revealed that he had always trusted Wolff and had never doubted his word.