Capping an astonishing week in Formula 1 since last Sunday’s first race at Sakhir, Russell appeared to be heading for a remarkable victory as stand in for Lewis Hamilton as he led Valtteri Bottas commandingly heading into the race’s final third after taking the lead at the race start.
But the appearance of a Safety Car pushed Mercedes into an extra pit stop for both cars on safety grounds to protect their lead – and it triggered an astonishing sequence of events that, ultimately, led to an agonising race-losing result for Russell.
He ended up finishing ninth, while Perez – incredibly still without a drive for 2021 – took his own maiden win after a nine-year wait and the first for his team in their current guise.
