George Russell still has physical scars from his 2020 Sakhir GP cameo, literal reminders of the weekend that nearly broke him and ultimately made his career. Called up on a Tuesday to replace COVID-positive Hamilton, Russell showed up Wednesday to find he didn't fit Lewis's seat. Too tall, feet too big — size 45 crammed into size 43 boots — he told Mercedes it was fine anyway because he was driving no matter what.

He qualified second, 0.026 seconds off Bottas, then led by eight seconds before Mercedes botched a double-stack pit stop, fitting Bottas's tyres to Russell's car and forcing an illegal extra stop. A late puncture finished the nightmare. Russell was on course to win in his first outing for the factory team, and it all vaporized.

The performance still sealed his future. Russell knew it that Sunday night — if his career had ended there, he'd have been haunted forever. Instead, the scars are proof he earned the seat he drives today.

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