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George Russell of Great Britain driving the (63) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W11 on the track during qualifying prior to the Sakhir F1 Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on December 05, 2020 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by – Pool / Getty Images)
• George Russell qualified second fastest on Saturday.
• He was just 0.026 seconds slower than Bottas, who grabbed pole.
• Russell has increased its market value thanks to its good performance.
• For more racing stories, go to Wheels24.
George Russell has raised his market value “enormously” with his performance at the wheel of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes in Bahrain.
That’s the opinion of former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld, after Russell lost pole position by just a thousandths to pressure from Mercedes regular Valtteri Bottas on Saturday.
“In a way, being this close makes it a little frustrating,” Russell, the 22-year-old Williams regular, said later.
“But if you had told me four days ago that I would be ranking P2 this weekend, I would have thought you would drop my pants.”
Former F1 driver Heidfeld commented: “For the first time in that car, Russell did a fantastic job.” It’s such a small gap.
“Bottas just did what was expected of him, but Russell really surprised me. He has increased his market value tremendously,” said the German.
In fact, Russell’s performance comes amid Hamilton’s contract negotiations, which have been delayed all season due to rumors that he is pushing for a pay increase.
He has raised suggestions that Mercedes may not need a driver as well paid as Hamilton, if Bottas and Russell block the front row of the grid in his absence.
“Of course you do (you need Hamilton),” insisted Red Bull Max Verstappen when asked about it.
“He is a seven-time world champion because he makes a difference in the most crucial moments.”
Russell himself agreed: “Guys like Lewis make a difference when there is pressure, at key moments. This is why he has done so well over the years.
“He’s a superstar, so if you’re Toto (Wolff), you want him on your racing team,” added the young Mercedes.
Another talking point in Bahrain is that Russell’s performance puts Bottas under great pressure to hold onto his Mercedes seat for 2022.
“I have noticed that no matter what you do, you are criticized,” Finn Bottas told Ilta Sanomat newspaper. “Sometimes it is more, sometimes it is less, but there are always people who criticize and complain.”
