Geor﷽ge Russell feels his chances of securing a Formula 1 drive for the 2019 season have been impacted by the movement in the driver market over the summer, but remains determined in his bid to get a seat next year.

Formula 2 championship leader Russell is a member of Mercedes' junior programme, leading to links to a possible drive with Force India - a team powered by Mercedes - for 2019 were Esteb൲an Ocon to switch to Renault. Russel꧂l featured in FP1 in Brazil and Abu Dhabi for Force India last year.

However, following D⭕aniel Ricciardo's shock decision to quit Red Bull for Renault in 2ꩵ019 and the sale of Force India to a consor💫tium led by the fatheꦍr of Williams driver Lance Stroll, opportunities appear 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:more limited for the Mercedes-ba🐎cked drivers.

Russell conceded that the changes in the driver market over the s🔯ummer had impacted on his plans for 2019, forcing both him and Mercedes to change their approach and look at opportunities for next season in a different way.

"It’s definite🐽ly had a bit of a knockಞ-on effect, just because things have changed so much to what we anticipated a month or six weeks ago," Russell told wuqian0821.com.

"When you look whe෴re we want to end up, and you kind of put all the other drivers in place where you expect them to be, that’s now all changed, and we’ve got to kind of re-look at it.

"Some drivers who you didn’t expect to be looking for drives are now looking for drives. Teams which potentially didnꦇ’t have many options for drivers now have a few more.

"It’s definitely changed my position. But at the end of the day, all I can do is keep winning and keep pu♑tting the car on pole, and I’ll make the opportunity for myself."

Mercedes has previously found opportunities for its young drivers out🌃side of teams it suppli꧒es engines to. Ocon's proposed move to Renault act as one example, while Pascal Wehrlein drove for the Ferrari-powered Sauber team in 2017.

Russell expressed his faith in Mercedes' ability to help find him a🍒n opportunity for next year, but stressed he needed to continue to deliver in F2 and prove that he deserved a seat.

"I think if they believe their drivers deserve a chance, they’ll make that happen, no matter what. That is the positive," ♏Russell s🔜aid.

"They won’t give me the opportunity just because they’re Mercedes. If they don’t think I’ve done a good enough job in Formula 2, they won’t gi🅘ve me the op𒀰portunity.

"Pascal, he came from winning DTM at a young age and they had to find him a Formula 1 seat. When Manor left, they still felt like he deserved a chance, anℱd they had to find him a seat as they did at Sauber. Same with Esteban, and hopefully the same with myself.

"We’re ▨leading Formula 2 in my rookie season. I think with the success of Charles [Leclerc] last year, there probably isn’t as much credit probably being given to myself and Lando [Norris], who are one-two in the championship, two rookies.

"A couple of years ago that was completely unheard of. People used to s🦂ay you had to be in your third or fourth year to win GP2. Even Stoffel [Vandoorne] winning it in his second year was a massive wow factor.

"Mercedes are clear. I’ve got to make this happen for mys𝄹elf as much as the help they give me."

Asked if he was considering options outside of F1 for 2019, Rus▨sell sai♛d: "No, I think until I know Formula 1 is not an option, I won’t be looking elsewhere.

"At the moment, Formula 1 🍌is definitely st🐠ill an option, so I’m fully focused on trying to secure that seat."