Russell far exceeded expectations, but: "2021 switch is unrealistic"

George Russell took over Lewis Hamilton's championship-winning car during the Sakhir GP and made a big impression. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was also impressed. However, according to the Austrian, it is not a realistic scenario to have Russell drive instead of Valtteri Bottas in 2021.

No place for Russell at Mercedes in 2021

Russell is a Williams driver but is a big part of Mercedes. He has been part of the Mercedes development plan for several years. The 22-year-old Brit was allowed to drive the fastest car off the field in Bahrain when Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19. Bad luck threw away a win for Russell which in turn meant Bottas finished ahead of his new teammate on the track. 

The competition for the seat appears to be fierce after this weekend, but it is still unrealistic that Bottas will lose his place for the Williams driver next year. “He’s a Williams driver and is signed up to Williams. And our driver line-up is Valtteri and Lewis," Toto Wolff is quoted by TheRace.com.

Russell has always been a Mercedes driver

The team boss continues: “So I don’t see this as a realistic situation at that moment of time [2021]. But I can understand that it would be an interesting situation, both in the team and maybe a bit of a wild ride for all of us."

And a switch for 2022?: “George has always been a Mercedes driver. He’s a Williams driver now and they can be proud of what he’s done today. And they will know that his lap times in a Williams are probably the benchmark. And now we need to see what the future holds. I haven’t made up my mind now what that means for us," Wolff added.