Chance of a lifetime for George Russell who replaces Lewis Hamilton in the Sakhir Grand Prix

Hamilton is unable to compete after testing positive for Covid-19 so Russell will step in and try and secure his first World Championship points.

Russell has been a member of the Mercedes-Benz Junior Programme since 2017, when he won the GP3 Series championship as a rookie, before repeating the feat in Formula 2 in 2018.

“Obviously, nobody can replace Lewis,” Russell told Formula1.com. “But I’ll give my all for the team in his absence from the moment I step in the car.

“Most importantly, I wish him a speedy recovery. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity and can’t wait to get out on track this week.”

Russell made his F1 debut last year with Williams and has marked himself out as a future star with a string of strong drives and impressive qualifying performances in a lower-half-of-the-grid car.

His best finish this season is 11th.