George Russell admits the throb of pelvic bruises from squeezing into Lewis Hamilton’s car still lingers after the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix.
From Williams to Mercedes
Called up to the Brackley outfit after Hamilton’s COVID‑19 absence, Russell compared the cramped fit to his own size‑45 (UK 11.5) feet, forcing him to wear a custom size‑43 pair to squeeze into the cockpit.
Photo: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Qualifying and Race Mayhem
In his first Mercedes session, Russell took second on the grid, losing pole to Bottas by a mere 0.026 seconds, then catapulting ahead at the start into an eight‑second advantage.
However, a safety‑car period triggered a chaotic pit stop sequence in which the team mistakenly mounted Bottas’s tyres on Russell’s car, breaching regulations and forcing an extra stop.
A further puncture late in the race erased the momentum, leaving Russell short of a possible victory and cementing the event as pivotal for his future with the team.
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