SAN FRANCISCO, December 04, (THEWILL) – George Russell’s name has shot from near obscurity to global recognition as the 22-year-old Briton gets set to stand in for Lewis Hamilton in the world championship-winning Mercedes at the Sakhir Grand Prix (GP).
Russell, who only previously raced for Williams towards the back of the field in the sport, is yet to score a Formula 1 point. However, he has vowed to take a “step by step” approach over the race weekend to build up his confidence and understanding of the W11, which he will drive for the very first time in practice in Bahrain on Friday, November 4.
Record-breaking Hamilton is sidelined for the first GP of his career after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday. He had already won 11 of this season’s 15 races and claimed a record-equalling seventh world title at a canter last month.
Despite Russell’s unfamiliarity with the car he will be driving for the next three days, there are pointers to show that he will perform strongly having impressed in his initial two seasons at Williams with lesser machinery.
The former F2 champion was never outqualified by a team-mate in 36 races, and is widely considered a leading contender for a full-time place at Mercedes from at least 2022. Many see this weekend as a chance for him to stake an early claim to that seat against an established yardstick like Bottas.
Russell, however, insists that for his debut, he carries “no expectations” from either himself or the world champions’ management.
“There’s a lot of expectation from a number of people, media, fans, what have you, but [I am] blocking that out.
“I’m just going to do my own thing, build up to it, go out there in FP1, don’t try to set the world on fire and just prepare and get ready for qualifying. For me, Sunday is the main thing. Focusing for the race.”
There is precedence for an impressive first appearance. Four years ago, Max Verstappen, with little more than one season of F1 behind him, put in a stunning performance to win on his first appearance for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish GP, the very same weekend he drove their car for the first time.
When Russell was asked if he believed in his heart of hearts a win in his debut race was possible, he was candid: “You’ve obviously got to believe.
“I’ve been given an incredible opportunity but, like I say, I’m not setting any targets. I’m just going to give it my all, as I’ve done always. Go out there, drive as quick as I can come Saturday afternoon, Sunday afternoon and what happens, happens.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
