Speaking to WIRED, the Austrian didn’t hesitate in his response: "For me, it's clear it's George Russell. He's won everything. In go-karting, in Formula 3, Formula 2. He came into the team next to Lewis Hamilton, the biggest sports star in our industry, if not one of the biggest overall.

He then added: "George has grown so much as a driver in his skills and as a personality. And I think today he's definitely right up there and someone that leads the team going forward."

This year, the Brit is enjoying the best season of his career, having claimed two victories and stood on the podium nine times, most recently in Las Vegas last weekend. Russell is currently fourth in the championship, the leading force just behind the trio still fighting for the title, which includes the two McLaren drivers and Max Verstappen.

For months, speculation swirled around a potential move for Max Verstappen to Brackley, but the rumours were finally put to rest when the four-time world champion personally confirmed he would remain at Red Bull.

It then became only a matter of time before Mercedes officially announced their driver line-up for the next season, a decision made public in mid-October.

In a recent interview, the King’s Lynn native revealed that he had also negotiated a substantial pay increase with Toto Wolff.