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With Lewis Hamilton isolated after testing positive for Covid-19, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team has announced that George Russell will replace Hamilton for this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain.
With the appointment of Russell, he becomes the fifth driver to compete for the Mercedes F1 team since 2010, and the third Briton to represent the brand after Sir Stirling Moss and Hamilton. Before the announcement, Russell was part of Williams Racing, but has since been allowed to race for Mercedes. Taking over from Russell at Williams will be the team’s reserve driver, Jack Aitken.
“First of all, I want to thank our loyal partners at Williams for their collaboration and open-mindedness in making it possible for George to race Mercedes this weekend. The conversations with the team at Williams were positive and pragmatic, and those were the key factors in reaching an agreement, ”said Toto Wolff, CEO and Principal of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
Russell is no stranger to Mercedes, as the 22-year-old has been a member of the Mercedes-Benz Junior Program since 2017, when he won the GP3 Series championship as a rookie. A year later, he won the Formula 2 championship before being called up to join Williams in 2019.
With a string of strong units, Russell has been considered a future star, although he has yet to achieve a drivers’ championship point in two F1 seasons. His best result in 2020 came at the Grand Prix of Tuscany, where he managed to take 11th place, followed by 12th place at the recent Bahrain Grand Prix. However, in both seasons, the Briton has remained undefeated against his two teammates to date: Robert Kubica (2019) and Nicholas Latifi (2020) in 36 qualifying sessions.
“It will not be an easy task for George to transition from Williams to W11, but he is race ready and has a detailed understanding of 2020 tires and how they work on this generation of cars. George has shown impressive form this year with Williams, playing a critical role in his rise on the grid, and I am optimistic that he will deliver a solid performance alongside Valtteri (Bottas) who will be a demanding reference for him, ”added Wolff. .
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