Russell’s ready after loo call to step in for ill Lew
GEORGE Russell discovered he could be replacing Lewis Hamilton for this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix following a 2am bathroom phone call with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
Russell will step into the fastest car on the Formula One grid in Bahrain after Mercedes elected to snap up the 22-year-old British driver following Hamilton’s enforced absence with coronavirus.
Mercedes reached an agreement with Williams to release their junior driver from his contract on Tuesday.
Russell, in just his second season in the sport, has failed to score a point in his uncompetitive Williams machinery but, remarkably, will now be among the favourites to win on Sunday at the penultimate race of the year.
“I don’t think it has sunk in yet because it has all happened so quickly,” said Russell. “It has been an intense 48 hours and I was very anxious on Tuesday waiting to find out if we could strike a deal with Williams.
“I got a phone call from Toto at 2am on Tuesday morning. I was in the bathroom which was slightly awkward. I answered the phone and he said ‘George, are you in the bathroom?’ And I said, ‘yes, sorry, I am.’
“He replied by saying ‘unfortunately Lewis has got Covid. He is healthy, and he feels fine, but we want you to drive.’
“It was then a bit of a sleepless night, but we made it happen the following day. I had 64 phone calls on Tuesday, pinging between so many different people, so I am glad we got there in the end.”
Russell said he hopes to touch base with Hamilton throughout the weekend. The seven-time world champion is serving 10 days of isolation after returning a positive Covid-19 result on Monday.
“I am yet to speak to Lewis,” added Russell. “I dropped him a message wishing him well.
“He has his own agenda to look out for at the moment, making sure he recovers and gets better. I am sure isolation is quite a stressful time for him. I have a good relationship with him and I am sure we will speak over the course of the weekend.”
Standing at 6ft 2in, Russell is significantly taller than the 5ft 7ins frame of Hamilton. Russell admitted it will be a ‘tight squeeze’ to fit in to a cockpit custommade for his record-breaking compatriot.
He will also be forced to drop one shoe size from his normal 11s to ensure he fits in the Mercedes machinery.
“It is slightly uncomfortable, but I am sure I can endure the pain to take the opportunity,” he added.