Toto Wolff says Mercedes could reach a decision on the future of Valtteri Bottas as late as early next year.
While all signs so far point to Lewis Hamilton racing on in 2022, Mercedes will need to make a call on whether to retain Bottas or replace the Finn with protégé George Russell who currently races with Williams.
Bottas' difficult season so far and his significant underperformance in the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix have led many in the paddock to believe that the 31-year-old's days with Mercedes are numbered.
Furthermore, with Russell ripe for a promotion to Mercedes after a three-year apprenticeship with Williams, that included a spectacular one-off with the Brackley squad at Bahrain last year, bringing the Briton onboard the championship winning team is seen as a no-brainer.
©Mercedes
But speaking ahead of this weekend's French Grand Prix at Paul Ricard, Wolff said there was no rush to decide Bottas' fate one way or the other.
Asked when a call on Mercedes' 2022 line-up could be made, Wolff said: "Somewhere in the winter I think. But I don't know if it's December, January or February".
"It is highly possible because we have always been committed and loyal to the drivers. And this is what we're doing."
Wolff's stance is a 360-degree U-turn from his previous posture, having recently said that Mercedes would seek to wrap up its drivers' contracts over the summer and avoid another lengthy delay such as the one that marked the German manufacturer's previous talks with Hamilton that ran all the way into February of this year.
For Bottas to be in for a chance to retain his plum seat with Mercedes, Wolff said the Finn would need to "drive the car fast on a Saturday and Sunday.
"If he does that, he puts himself in a very good situation in terms of next year," said the Austrian who added that there would be no change at Mercedes for the sake of change.
"The main driver is consistent performance," said Wolff. "Especially in this difficult year, we need two drivers that are racing right there.
"If one is having an off weekend or DNFs, you need the other one to bring it home. And that's why it's always important that both are just on the max of their ability."
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