Lewis Hamilton has once again jumped to the defence of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas with the current champion saying the Finn needs to be left alone.

The second Mercedes seat is up for grabs at the moment for 2022 and beyond with speculation growing that Bottas may well be replaced for next year by someone like George Russell.

Indeed, it seems as though an announcement on who is going to be partnering Lewis Hamilton past this current campaign could be on the way fairly soon and it does seem that the Briton is more than happy to keep Bottas around, with him saying that people need to get off of his back.

Speaking to Total-Motorsport, Hamilton said:

“Knowing my relationship with Valtteri makes him a great teammate. I’ve always said that.

“And to be honest, I feel like that we currently have the pairing that delivers best when it comes to balance in the team and the knowledge of how we can develop our car.

“At some point, that will change. I won’t be here forever, and neither will Valtteri.

“But for now, I think we have done well over the years and can do that we will continue to do so.

“People have to leave him alone sometimes so that he can concentrate on his work.”

Formula 1 is a unique mix of team and individual sport and Mercedes know that their combination of Hamilton and Bottas has yielded great success in recent years and far more harmoniously than the Hamilton/Rosberg era.

Even so, in light of Red Bull's renewed challenge and Bottas' struggles at times this season, there is still a decision to be made over that second Mercedes seat and we'll have to wait and see what happens.