
Why history risks repeating itself for Mercedes' star F1 junior
Speculation linking Sergio Perez with Williams next year will make for uncomfortable reading for George Russell. Despite his consistently strong showings, a precedent from 2018 suggests holding onto his seat may not be a straightforward matter
It is rare for Formula 1 to get this far into the season with so many questions still hanging over next year's driver market.
But as we get close to the end of October, silly season remains in full swing, with the latest jolts coming in the days leading up to the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.
Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.
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