Russell points out: "That silenced the critics"

George Russell replaced coronavirus-infected Lewis Hamilton at last year's Sakhir Grand Prix. The young Brit seemed on course to take the win on his debut for Mercedes, but disaster struck for the talent. A pit stop went horribly wrong, forcing Russell to come in for a second round of rubber.

He was 'robbed' of a victory, although his ninth place and fastest lap of the race gave Russell his first points of his F1 career. The current Williams driver didn't care about that at the time, as he reveals at GQ-Magzine. He was sick to death of the blunder of Mercedes.

Emotional Russell

"Anybody in that situation would have had trouble keeping their emotions in order. I came back to the drivers’ room, threw everything down. I was speechless, to be honest, and very emotional. Then Toto and Bono [race engineer] came in. They said, “You were amazing. We’re so sorry. Your time will come again.” I was obviously disappointed but equally incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity and pride in how the race went in such short notice in a car I’d never driven with no preparation."

The fact that Russell drove so well to give himself a chance of victory is already exciting. Without any preparation Russell found himself suddenly in Hamilton's car. The W11 was actually too small for Russell, he admitted afterwards, so he wasn't even comfortable.

Russell silences the critics

There was a lot of respect for Russell after the Grand Prix weekend. "I definitely noticed the difference around the paddock. More people noticed me and recognised me outside, too, in the airport and other places. It was huge, really, there was a lot of respect for me. [A pause.] It’s difficult to know how good somebody is when they’re at the back of the grid. That silenced the critics," he concluded.