Williams' Russell replacing Hamilton for Mercedes at Sakhir GP
Williams driver George Russell will drive for Mercedes at the Sakhir Grand Prix this weekend in Bahrain, replacing Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton is unavailable after testing positive for COVID-19.
"Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to everybody at Williams for giving me this opportunity," Russell said, according to Formula 1. "I might be wearing a different race suit this weekend, but I'm a Williams driver and I'll be cheering my team on every step of the way.
"I see this as a great chance to learn from the best outfit on the grid right now and to come back as an improved driver, with even more energy and experience to help push Williams further up the grid. A big thank you also to Mercedes for putting their faith in me."
Russell has experience driving with the world champions and has been one of F1's rising stars since making his debut last year. Though he's failed to capture any points thus far, he's come close on numerous occasions, and his qualifying sessions have been impressive.
Very few people are lucky enough to drive for an @F1 team each year. I'm about to get the chance to drive for two.
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) December 2, 2020
Unbelievably grateful to @WilliamsRacing and @MercedesAMGF1 for this opportunity.
Thank you all 🙏 pic.twitter.com/x2ZGMWOX8A
Williams reserve Jack Aitken will take Russell's spot at Sakhir, joining regular driver Nicholas Latifi.
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