George Russell, who borrowed from Williams’ squad as Lewis Hamilton’s understudy, got off to a bombshell: British talent took the lead in Sahir’s Grand Prix opening with Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s young titan Max Verstappen .
Russell could start his Mercedes Formula 1 car this weekend with Lewis Hamilton earlier in the week it turned out that he was infected with the coronavirus.
The young pilot was borrowed from the Williams by the Germans, and Jack Aitkent was sitting in his place. The Haas team also had a replacement, as the victim of a terrible accident at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Romain Grosjean can’t go out this weekend: Pietro Fittipaldi got his car.
George Russell was the fastest in the first free practice of the Sahir Grand Prix: the Mercedes junior driver took the lead with 54.546 seconds, almost 2 tenths of a second ahead of Max Verstappen.
In 3rd position, Alexander Albon finished off the other Red Bull, while Valtteri Bottas only started in 4th position.
The AlphaTauri drivers opened Bahrain’s second weekend in great shape: Daniil Kvyat was fifth and Pierre Gasly the sixth fastest time. In the top 10, the two Ferraris and the two Renault still closed. Sebastian Vettel was eighth and Charles Leclerc tenth.
Racing Points and McLaren, however, started modestly: Lance Stroll and Sergio Pérez finished 11th and 12th, ahead of Carlos Sainz, while Lando Norris only finished 16th.
Pietro Fittipaldi, who jumped to replace Grosjean, finished 19th, while Jack Aitken finished 20th with Williams.
The Sahiri Formula 1 Grand Prix program in Hungarian time It continues with the second free practice at 6:30 p.m.