Valtteri Bottas insists it feels "normal" to be racing with no assurances over his Formula One future, despite Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggesting the Finn is in an uncomfortable position.
Bottas signed a last-minute one-year deal to fill the vacant seat left by reigning world champion Nico Rosberg at Mercedes, following the German's shock retirement from the sport in December. While his one-year contract allowed Mercedes the chance to assess his form at a leading team, Bottas has responded to the step up quickly, claiming both his maiden pole position and victory within just four races in 2017.
Despite his impressive start to life at the world champions, speculation about whether he will remain Lewis Hamilton's teammate next season continues, with Wolff admitting Bottas is not in an easy situation. Ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Bottas says he is not worried about his future any more than in previous years.
"I feel normal, because every single year I've been in Formula One I was in the same situation at this time of the year," Bottas explained. "I've had no idea, at this point, what I was going to do the following year. So, for me, it's a normal situation.
"I know some kind of plan, when they are planning to have things sorted," he added. "But that's between us in the team, there's no point in being in a rush. I don't know when I will know. The time line is quite flexible, but, like I said, there's no rush."
The Finn says he is remaining calm about the situation and expects talks regarding his future with Mercedes to begin soon.
"For sure the discussions will be open soon, because as a driver, at some point, it's always nice to know what you're going to do next year," Bottas explained. "But it's still early days and for sure I'm keen to have a long-term relationship with Mercedes. Every day I work hard to make the most out of every single situation I'm in."
When asked if he has had started discussions with any other teams, Bottas replied: "No."