Force India's Nico Hulkenberg thinks the media has created a false impression he is obsessed with landing a seat at one of Formula One's biggest teams.
Hulkenberg has not been on the podium since his debut in 2010 but is one of the most highly-rated drivers on the grid. His reputation was enhanced further last year when he won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Porsche at the first attempt.
That success saw him briefly linked with a Ferrari seat before the Italian team retained Kimi Raikkonen for another year. Many in F1 believe the German has never been given the car to showcase his talents properly but Hulkenberg insists he is happy with his current role at Force India, where he is contracted to remain until 2017.
"You guys [the media] keep thinking so hard about top teams for me!" Hülkenberg told Motorsport.com, when asked what more he can do to earn a seat at a top team. "I'm not so concerned. I'm here, I'm enjoying what I do, I want to do the best I can, I want to beat my team-mate, and do great things - and then it will eventually happen or not.
"Of course I want to be at the front and winning races, but I've learned after all these years, I can't force it. It's going to happen or it's not going to happen. It's something that's not 100 percent in my control, in my powers."
Pressed on going after a Mercedes drive should the team drop one of its drivers, he replied: "I think at the moment all this is too much speculation and too far down the line.
"You can position yourself strategically, but looking at the short-term future, it's not going to change much, and I'm committed, obviously, for two years."
Until last year Hulkenberg had never completed back-to-back seasons with the same team and he says his decision to sign a two-year contract extension in the summer shows how much he is enjoying life at Force India.
"I do actually feel really comfortable. That is one of the reasons to re-sign -- if you're happy somewhere, if you feel you have the support of the team and the management, that's something very important for a driver. Comfort is an element that will help you, and boost your performance.
"I have good faith and trust in the team that we can keep developing the car and keep closing the gap to the likes of Williams, that we can take them on next year. I see the potential, and I believe that we can pull it off.