Lewis Hamilton has been ruled out of this weekend’s Sakhir GP after a positive COVID-19 result. George Russell has been picked to replace him while FP2 racer Jack Aitken takes the vacant seat at Williams.
Mercedes Mayhem
On Tuesday 1st of December, news broke that Lewis Hamilton had mild coronavirus symptoms and returned a positive test. This ruled him out of the Sakhir GP with immediate effect. Hamilton has no chance of being surpassed in the standings, having achieved his 7th title in Turkey, 2 races ago. There has been no word toward the Abu Dhabi GP, but it means that this will be the first race since the 2006 Brazilian GP to not feature the Briton.
Speculation ran wild as to who would replace the World Champion, in what would surely be the most coveted seat in Motor-racing. Nico Hulkenberg and Mercedes reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne were rumoured to take the seat. However, it was announced early on Tuesday that George Russell would be the stand-in. Russell has been strongly tipped to take a Mercedes seat in 2022 and he comes with an impressive reputation.
First points and first podium?
Russell has never been outqualified by a team-mate in F1 and despite never scoring a point, is widely regarded as a driver worthy of the Mercedes seat. This is a huge opportunity for the Briton, going head to head against the driver he may be replacing in future. Furthermore, there is a strong chance that Russell’s first points finish may even come with a trophy as well as the Mercedes has been a dominant force this year.
Something that will delight Russell further is the track that is being raced this weekend. No driver has ever taken to the Bahrain outer ring and this will level the playing field, before considering the machinery. The Mercedes has proven to be a great all round car, but has been especially good at the high speed tracks. Mercedes’ nearest rivals, Red Bull, have struggled on the faster tracks throughout 2020 and look to be leapfrogged by the Racing Points this weekend.
Surprise call-up
While Russell’s one race promotion may have been unpredicted, it was not the only surprise of the news released today. With Williams now having a spare seat, FP2 driver and Williams reserve Jack Aitken has been granted his debut in Formula 1. Aitken is a 3 time winner in his discipline and despite a tough 3rd year in F2, he comes with a respectable reputation and one he’ll be desperate to show is worthy of a future drive.
The surprise news shocked many this morning, but that shock has now been turned into anticipation. The race win has now been blown wide open and the possibility of a surprise result now seems almost certain. Many Russell fans will be overjoyed at the opportunity that has been presented to the former F2 champion, but as much as this could be a blessing, it could also be curse if the pressure gets to him.
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