Russell to drive for Mercedes in Hungary F1 test this week
The Williams racer will test a Mercedes mule car fitted with Pirelli’s 18-inch tyres as preparation for the switch to the bigger wheels next season.
It will mark Russell’s second appearance driving for Mercedes in Hungary, following his maiden F1 test in the summer of 2017. He also completed tests in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi for the team in 2019.
The 23-year-old Briton has been heavily-linked with a promotion to the Mercedes works team for 2022 alongside seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Russell scored his first points for Williams by finishing eighth in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, while the man he has been tipped to replace, Valtteri Bottas, retired after causing carnage at the first corner.
Mercedes is currently weighing up whether to give the second seat to its highly-rated protege Russell, or retain Bottas for a fifth season.
The German marquee is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks, though it may not officially communicate the news until later in the year.
Ferrari and McLaren are also set to take part in the Pirelli tyre test at Budapest.
