Williams racer Russell is widely ex🥂pected to be promoted alongside Hamilton for the 2022 season as a replacement for Valtteri Bottas, who in turn is poised to take the Alfa Romeo seat vacated by the retiring Kimi R♌aikkonen.

Speaking about the mounting driver market speculation ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Hamilton said he imagines the prospect of a teammate relationship with Russell to b🌞e “quite good”.

“I honestly think it would be good,” Hamilton said. “George is an incredibly talented driver, clearly. I would say probably th✤e only highlight from last week was his qualifying lap, it was amazing.

“I think he’s humble, I think he’s got a great approach. Naturally being British I would imagine probably h⛦elps in terms of communication.

“At the moment naturally I have to be super supportive of the teammateꦏ I have right now, so that’s why I’m always supportive of Valtteri because we have a job to do right now. Neither of us can win the team championship a🦋lone, we have to do it collectively.

“But he’s the future, he’s one of the members of the future of the sport. I think he’s already shown incredible driving so far and I’m sure he’s go🌞ing to continue to grow.

“So where bette🐓r to do it than in a greꦦat team like this, or what team wherever he goes to.”

Earlier on Thursday, 🎶Red Bull’s Max Verstappen said Russell’s expected arrival at Mercedes would make life “very difficult” for Hamilton⭕.

But Hamilton dismissed Verstappen’s comment, insistinℱg h🎀e feels he has nothing to prove and would welcome the challenge posed by Russell.

“It’s not like I havꦑe anything to prove,” Hamilton said. "I raced against some incredible drivers as teammates. My rookie year I was alongside Fernando [Alonso].

“I don’t feel l🌠ike I’ve got anything to prove. If anything, if i🅠t does turn out I’ve got a new teammate, I’m in a different place in my life. I’m excited to see the youngsters coming through.

“It’s not that I want to lose to a youngster, na𓆏turally! But I’m excited to see the progression of the sport as I am a fan of the sport at the end of the day. You’ve heard me earlier on in the 🍌year talk about Lando.

“It’s encouraging to see these youngsters come through. They’re fierce, I see a lot of myself in the younger generation. I think they’re what the sport is going to rely on moving forward.🧜 There will be things we learn from each other.”

And Hamilton insisted suggestions of Russell’s arrival potentially upsetting the tea♉m dynamic were “no𝄹t a concern” to him.

“Naturally when you start with so▨meone new, it takes time, even when we have a new engineer or new mechanic, it takes a moment for them to gel in,” he explained.

“But George has already been on the circuit with the team, he’s already done a race with the team, he’s already been in the background whilst Valtteri and I have been worki🧔ng in♚ the past. I think he knows the environment well.

“But as I said, my focus right now is me and V☂altteri have a job to do. I’m proud to work alongside Valtteri, he’s a decent human being and that’s at the core of the respect I have with him.

“On top of that he’s a fierce competitor, he never gives up, keepsꦅ pushing. He’s helped me deliver these championships for the team, I couldn’t have dꦉone it without him.”