On Sunday, George Russell claimed second place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a commendable achievement, especially considering he was not in peak health. He had already skipped his media obligations on Thursday, and his hoarse voice was unrecognizable over the team radio during free practice. Team boss Toto Wolff praised his driver’s efforts and revealed that Valtteri Bottas was almost called in as a replacement.
According to Wolff, it was a close call – Valtteri Bottas was ready to step into the car on behalf of George Russell as early as Friday. The British driver was feeling unwell at the start of the race weekend in Baku. Nevertheless, he fought his way into Q3 in qualifying and secured second place in the race behind Max Verstappen. Wolff immediately congratulated him over the team radio: “A bit of flu seems to be good for you,” the Austrian joked. “Not bad, considering how poorly I feel,” Russell responded with relief.
After the race, the Mercedes boss once again sang Russell’s praises. “What he has shown is very impressive. On Friday morning, it was still uncertain whether Bottas would jump into the car,” Wolff revealed. “George himself said, ‘I’m not sure if I can do it.’ But by morning, he had somewhat recovered and decided to continue racing. He gave it his all every day.”
Wolff finds it particularly special that Russell was also able to secure a podium finish. The Brit moved up from the fifth starting position to P2. Max Verstappen was untouchable in Baku, but Russell did manage to outperform Carlos Sainz. “That was the hardest part,” he said afterwards. “A one-and-a-half-hour race here in Baku, without making a single mistake,” Wolff concluded. “He thoroughly deserved that second place.”
