George Russell takes center stage at Mercedes

You can never read too much into Formula 1 Fridays… but you can decipher from this one that George Russell has what it takes to shine under the spotlight at the front of the field – as well as dazzle towards the rear.

Russell has impressed with minnow Williams over the past two seasons, and now he’s got his shot at the F1 big time with Mercedes it’s clear he intends taking it with both hands. And, with Lewis Hamilton on the sidelines, what a time for Valtteri Bottas to have a scruffy Friday when he’s looked so strong on many of them this year.

Russell’s true challenge comes in qualifying (a strong suit in his Williams days) and the race (his starts have been a problem). But as first night’s go, there was no sign of stage fright on Friday and he didn’t fluff any of his lines.

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