OMG what a F1 race in Bahrain. George, George, George. George Russell got his first Mercedes start as he takes Lewis Hamilton’s seat, Hamilton got Covid and as such Mercedes pulled George Russell from the Williams team to see what he could do in a Mercedes F1 racecar. George (Russell), delivered time after time after time all weekend. Starting with practice 1 and practice 2, George Russell showed that he has what it takes to drive for a top tier F1 race team. George qualified P2, just .02 seconds behind Bottas.
The start of the race saw George Russell off to a great start where he took 1st on the opening lap. Next Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc got off track while racing for position and both ended up being out of the race, in addition Sergio Perez for Racing Point was caught up in the opening lap and went off track taking him all the way to the back of the pack.
It was George’s (Russell) race to win as he put more and more distance between himself, Bottas and the entire field at the Bahrain Sakhir Grand Prix. Then late in the race, the replacement driver Aitkens who (ironically) was driving for Williams to take George’s seat as George was driving for Mercedes today, Aitkens had a spin and lost his front wing which initially brought out a VRS (Virtual Safety Car) and then ended up bringing out a full safety car. Mercedes decided to pit George Russell and Bottas during the safety car to get new tires and then things went from good to bad to worse. In the haste to pit the two Mercedes back to back (double stacking), there was a lack of communication with the tire changers which resulted in George (Russell) getting the wrong tires put on his car, as such George had to pit again for the correct tires, else they would have gotten a penalty. The colossal f*c! up took George from 1st place to 5th. George’s hopes for a first win, a first podium had just about been denied him, through no fault of his own. With limited race laps remaining, George managed to fight back to 2nd and was on pace to retake the lead from Perez for the win! Then, heartbreak, a right rear puncture would bring in Russell for a third additional pitstop, this one there was no way to fight back from, there was not enough time left, simply not enough laps remaining. Russell, would rejoin the final laps of the Sakhir Grand Prix in 15th position. Amazingly, George (Russell) would fight his way to 9th place before the laps ran out on him, and as a very distant consolation, George Russell did earn his first F1 points ever in a race. This was one of the most disheartening moments I have ever felt in a race and I am sure it is such for so many others.
In the end, Perez got the top step of the podium, his first. Sergio Perez, who does not have a ride for next year in F1, and has been racing in F1 for 10 seasons, earned a much deserved 1st place, just perhaps it would have been different under another set of circumstances. Ocon for Renault came in 2nd, a first podium for Esteban Ocon and Stroll came in 3rd.
George Russell got (a much earned) driver of the day and showed on multiple occasions that he has what it takes to drive for a top team and win. Congrats to all. Most important, it was a safe race. Thankfully, Grosjean is out of the hospital from last week’s horrific crash that he survived.
With F1 as with trading and as with life, there will be ups and there will be downs. Sometimes there are situations that are out of our control, but in the end, we keep forging ahead and for those who persevere, victory is within our reach.
Next week, F1 is in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina circuit for the final race of the 2020 F1 season.
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