Lance Stroll is being linked with a move to Force India.

The Canadian has sounded frustrated with Williams's situation recently, and his billionaire father Lawrence has been spotted in heated conversations with team bosses.

When asked about the Force India rumours at Hockenheim, 19-year-old Stroll answered: "I'm really focused on the race and won't comment on these rumours.

"Yes, this year we were surprised and shocked by the performance of the car. But I would like to make progress and I want to win races. Why not with Williams?"

First, he wants at least to see Williams make progress amid its abysmal 2018 season.

The once-great British team has a raft of improvements in Germany.

"I would like to see our improvement and get where we want as a team. But I still want to do what is best for me as a driver, so we will have to see," he said.

"I'm still focused on where I am now."

Some, like Williams's last champion Jacques Villeneuve, think that the team is already effectively "dead".

Asked if those comments upset him, current team driver Sergey Sirotkin answered: "No, not upset.

"It's just that not many people see how seriously we are working.

"From the outside, the situation seems more pessimistic than it really is. It is a pity that I cannot tell you how things are, but from the inside I see much more."

Sirotkin did admit, however, that a lot is riding on Williams's car improvements at Hockenheim.

"The weekend is important, because the team has worked on these parts for a long time," he added.

"If they do not work, we have serious problems with the correlation of data and it will take a long time to solve them, which will become very painful for the team.

"That's why I hope they work as we expect them to."

Williams is rock bottom of the constructor standings heading into this weekend's race.