Antonio Giovinazzi says the current uncertainty about his place at Alfa Romeo for 2020 is "part of the game".
After missing out on the Haas seat, Renault refugee Nico Hulkenberg is now pinning his hopes on a potential move to Alfa Romeo.
Italian Giovinazzi, despite his strong Ferrari link, has been fending off speculation about his future all season.
He now says in Singapore: "I always feel the pressure.
"Even in karting, I never had my own money to keep it going," Giovinazzi is quoted by Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin.com.
"I knew in Formula 3 and Formula 2 that every time I made a mistake, they could replace me. In Formula 1 that may be even more the case, but it’s part of the game."
And so Giovinazzi is now facing the prospect of Hulkenberg’s old boss Frederic Vasseur potentially pushing Ferrari hard for a driver change.
Giovinazzi said: "All I know is that I have to keep doing well and getting results like in Monza.
"The pace has been there since Paul Ricard. Especially in qualifying I’m close to Kimi. My main problem from the beginning of the season has been the race pace, but that’s getting better too.
"I just have to keep getting better every weekend, and if I get good results for the remainder of the season, nobody can take my place. That’s my only focus," he said.