P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff revealed that Valtteri Bottas was close to making an unexpectedly early F1 comeback at the Azerbaijan GP.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff shared that Valtteri Bottas was close to making an unexpected early comeback in Formula 1 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Bottas is currently preparing for a full return to the sport with Cadillac next year, alongside Sergio Perez. As the reserve driver for the German team, Bottas was poised to step in if needed due to illness affecting George Russell’s ability to race. Despite initial doubts about Russell’s health, he qualified in fifth place and finished a remarkable second in the race. Wolff confirmed that Bottas was on standby and almost replaced Russell, who ultimately delivered an impressive performance in Baku. Russell cited the physically less demanding nature of the Baku City Circuit as a factor in his decision to race despite feeling unwell.
