The 2020 season, as a whole, took the shape of one of the best seasons in over a decade, portraying some extremely unpredictable races; amongst that stood the Sakhir Grand Prix. By the time the race ended, two drivers took over the headlines – Sergio Perez and George Russell.

The Mexican managed to win the race from a point where even a top-five finish looked practically impossible. Meanwhile, Russell had the victory in his sight through most parts of his race. However, within a blink of an eye, the hopes just vanished, as he fell victim to an unusual Mercedes blunder.

Consequently, by the end of the race, Perez was on the top step, celebrating his most-awaited race win with happy tears. Contrastingly, Russell was lying on the lawn, portraying a dejected figure, wondering how he declined from such a dominant position.

The friendly banter between George Russell and Sergio Perez

Cherishing the wild race, Formula 1 recently posted an inside story to Perez’s incredible race win in Bahrain on social media. And the Mexican just couldn’t stop himself from reacting to the post.

“It’s worth watching it again,” he wrote. Eventually, Russell joined the conversation and replied to the race winner’s comments. “No thanks,” the Briton jokingly reacted.

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The Sakhir Grand Prix wasn’t entirely about the race, but more about Perez and Russell. Prior to the start of the weekend, the two drivers had an identical goal, which was to impress their desired top-field teams.

On one hand, the Mexican had a pile of pressure hovering over him, which was kindled by the Racing Point sacking. With the season almost reaching its business end, he had to deliver his best in the race to impress Red Bull Racing.

On the other hand, the young Briton had finally received a golden opportunity from Mercedes amid a static career in Williams to portray the talent he possesses.

Sakhir GP – the turning point for Perez and Russell

Expectations were towering high when Russell stepped into the championship-winning Mercedes, and he definitely lived up to every bit of it until the halfway point of the race. He was leading the race at that time, with Bottas tagging along in P2.

Unfortunately, his team’s failed attempt at a double-stack pit-stop halted Russell from retaining the P1 position. Thankfully, by the time he dropped to the back of the grid, he had already done enough to prove his worth.

And how did it change his future?

As of now, it looks like Russell will probably stick around Williams for another year before switching to the Mercedes AMG F1 team as a full-time driver.

Meanwhile, Perez’s victory was enough for Red Bull to assess the Mexican’s talent and decided to offer the crucial second seat to him.

Hence, despite the contrasting emotions by the chequered flag, Sakhir Grand Prix ended up as a win-win for either of the drivers.

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