Russell: "Strange feeling" learning of Williams return for Abu Dhabi
George Russell says it was a "strange feeling" learning he would not be racing for Mercedes in Abu Dhabi on Thursday before returning to Williams for Formula 1 practice
Russell raced for Mercedes at the Sakhir Grand Prix after seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19, and came close to scoring his maiden F1 victory before eventually finishing ninth.
As Mercedes waited to learn whether Hamilton could race in Abu Dhabi, Russell took part in Thursday's media duties for the team, only for it to be confirmed later in the day that he would be returning to Williams for the rest of the weekend.
The Briton conceded that he had mixed feelings upon hearing he would be going back to Williams for the race, having wanted to put together a full weekend for Mercedes with greater preparation.
"It was a strange feeling, to be honest," Russell said.
"Prior to Bahrain, I really wanted to have the two weeks in the car, purely because I was expecting to learn everything I needed to in Bahrain and I could have come here with no excuses, as such.
"As Bahrain did go so well from a performance perspective, part of me was like you know what, I think it was a good weekend, obviously I really wanted to win and I would have had a great opportunity this weekend.
"But nevertheless, these guys at Williams, they gave me that opportunity, they've been working so hard for me over the last two years.
"It's my duty to send off the season on a high, and that's what I'm here to do."
Russell got back into the Williams FW43 car for practice on Friday at the Yas Marina Circuit, and ended the day 2.5 seconds slower than pace-setter Valtteri Bottas in the Mercedes.
The 22-year-old said it was "very different" driving the Williams once again due to the shift in pace.
"There's no hiding the lap times, obviously that's clear," Russell said.
"Mercedes is the benchmark. I was fortunate enough to race for them last week and know where we need to be pushing the car.
"It's good learning, and to get that back-to-back in the space of five days was great."
Russell was able to score his first F1 points in Sakhir with Mercedes, but was unsure of repeating the feat with Williams in the season finale barring setbacks for the cars further up the order.
"We'll be trying our everything," Russell said. "I think it gets to the last race of the season, I think everybody up and down the grid gets a bit desperate.
"There are a few teams fighting over that P3 spot, so we might see some big lunges. Carlos [Sainz Jr] is off to Ferrari, so he probably won't care if he bashes up the car, then you've got Danny Ric [Ricciardo] is off, so he probably doesn't care if he bashes up the car.
"Who else is going? Sergio [Perez]'s off, so he won't care if he bashes up the car. It could be a good one.
"But on pure pace, we know we won't be fighting for the top 10, in all honesty. Kimi [Raikkonen] looked really fast, and Kevin [Magnussen], but that's usually the case.
"We're usually a bit off on Friday, and we usually sort it out on Saturday."
Raikkonen: "Nothing scary" about F1 engine fire in Abu Dhabi GP practice
Wolff: Bottas has "unconditional support" from entire Mercedes F1 team
Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1?
Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1? Has Alonso made the right choice gambling on Aston Martin F1?
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie Hamilton in the process of selecting Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie
How ‘demanding’ Alonso has started life with Aston Martin
How ‘demanding’ Alonso has started life with Aston Martin How ‘demanding’ Alonso has started life with Aston Martin
Russell has "zero hard feelings" about Mercedes F1 team orders
Russell has "zero hard feelings" about Mercedes F1 team orders Russell has "zero hard feelings" about Mercedes F1 team orders
F1 drivers question tyre blanket ban sustainability claims
F1 drivers question tyre blanket ban sustainability claims F1 drivers question tyre blanket ban sustainability claims
The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake
The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake The lessons Russell can take from his "two-centimetre" Singapore F1 mistake
Sargeant handed penalty for third car rules breach ahead of F1 Japanese GP
Sargeant handed penalty for third car rules breach ahead of F1 Japanese GP Sargeant handed penalty for third car rules breach ahead of F1 Japanese GP
Brown "sympathetic" to Williams F1 but warns against CapEx spending spree
Brown "sympathetic" to Williams F1 but warns against CapEx spending spree Brown "sympathetic" to Williams F1 but warns against CapEx spending spree
How Monza shows Albon's transformation to fearsome F1 battler
How Monza shows Albon's transformation to fearsome F1 battler How Monza shows Albon's transformation to fearsome F1 battler
Discover how LEGO® Technic™ can reveal the secrets behind F1 engineering
Discover how LEGO® Technic™ can reveal the secrets behind F1 engineering Discover how LEGO® Technic™ can reveal the secrets behind F1 engineering
IndyCar race winner Kirkwood signs extension with Andretti Global
IndyCar race winner Kirkwood signs extension with Andretti Global IndyCar race winner Kirkwood signs extension with Andretti Global
Why Ferrari doesn’t agree with McLaren F1 fairytale revival
Why Ferrari doesn’t agree with McLaren F1 fairytale revival Why Ferrari doesn’t agree with McLaren F1 fairytale revival
Why Honda MotoGP team wouldn't block Marc Marquez's exit
Why Honda MotoGP team wouldn't block Marc Marquez's exit Why Honda MotoGP team wouldn't block Marc Marquez's exit
How football has posed difficult questions for F1
How football has posed difficult questions for F1 How football has posed difficult questions for F1
The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1
The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1 The fans that offer a ray of light in an increasingly partisan F1
Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023 Japanese Grand Prix Driver Ratings 2023
How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip
How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip How Verstappen’s crushing Japanese GP win showed Singapore was a blip
Why the reality of F1 engineering debriefs isn't what Drive to Survive makes out
Why the reality of F1 engineering debriefs isn't what Drive to Survive makes out Why the reality of F1 engineering debriefs isn't what Drive to Survive makes out
How Tsunoda has eliminated a crucial F1 limitation
How Tsunoda has eliminated a crucial F1 limitation How Tsunoda has eliminated a crucial F1 limitation
How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again
How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again How McLaren has revamped its F1 team to become a contender again
Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge
Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge Why precedent doesn’t favour Massa’s F1 legal challenge
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.