After Lewis Hamilton tested positive for coronavirus, Mercedes was in a fix as to who they would pair Bottas with at the Sakhir GP. In stepped a strapping young lad from Williams named George Russell.

Russell is, of course, an academy graduate of the Mercedes F1 team. But, he drove in Hamilton’s W11 with sheer confidence and absolute grit. He almost came close to sealing a race win on his debut with Mercedes.

Speaking in the Abu Dhabi pre-race press conference, Russell said that he reflected on his showing in the race at Sakhir. And undoubtedly, he can be proud of the performance, despite finishing in ninth.

George Russell is proud of the job he managed to achieve in the Sakhir GP

The 22-year-old stated, “My Mum was in tears, bless her, afterwards and my sister as well. You know, we live this together this sport and it’s so passionate, emotions are so high.”

“And obviously this was my first opportunity to, not just to win but to actually, you know, score points and that was such a big difference. And having that taken away from us, not once but twice, was difficult.”

It is always difficult for an F1 driver when external factors take away the chance of attaining a race win. However, Russell has said that he can ‘hold his head high’, after he came back to fight the traffic and finish among the points. He concluded, “But having time to reflect on the weekend, I’ve left with my head held high. And proud of the job we’ve managed to achieve last weekend.” 

Russell will now race for Williams in the final race of the 2020 season

An unfortunate puncture forced the Brit to come into the pits for a fresh set of tires. That resulted in him losing out on track position, which played into the hands of Racing Point and Renault.

Following the announcement of Hamilton’s return, Russell will not get a shot at redemption and will instead drive for Williams in the upcoming Abu Dhabi GP. But regardless, the experience with Mercedes is something he would be incredibly proud of. He will indeed cherish it for some time to come.