Bottas in no rush to secure 2018 future

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Valterri Bottas says he is relaxed over his contractual position with Mercedes, insisting his situation just "feels normal".

Earlier in the week, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggested that the Finn's one-year contract had perhaps put Bottas in an "uncomfortable situation" as it is too early in the season for the German outfit to confirm its driver line-up for 2018.

But Bottas treated the comments with a bit of withdrawal, actually agreeing with his employer that it was indeed still early days.

"I don't know when I will know," Bottas said.

"The timeline is quite flexible, but there's no rush really, for sure discussions will be opened soon because as a driver at some point it's always nice to know what you're going to do next year.

"But [there's] not more than that to say really, it's still a bit early days for that.

"For sure I'm keen to have a long-term relationship with Mercedes, that's my target, that's why every day I work hard and try to make the most out of every single situation and race weekend.

Wolff admits Bottas in 'uncomfortable situation'

Bottas said he was drawing on his past experience while approaching the question of his future, and that it all "feels normal".

"I feel normal because every single year in Formula 1 for me I've always had the same situation," he said.

"I've had no idea at this point [in previous years] what's going to be next year, so for me it's a normal situation."

Bottas also said that, at this point, he had not held any discussions with other teams over 2018.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.