George Russell admitted he nearly did not compete at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after overcoming illness to finish an impressive second.

The Mercedes driver missed Thursday’s media day and was battling an infection throughout the weekend.

Russell qualified fifth on Saturday and delivered another superb display in the race, with a solid long first stint allowing him to leapfrog Williams’ Carlos Sainz and finish behind race winner Max Verstappen.

“I was pretty glad when I saw the chequered flag, to be honest. I was fortunate — I felt much better today than I felt on Friday and Saturday,” Russell said.

“Fortunately, it was Baku . Even though it’s one of the toughest circuits, mentally and physically it’s maybe one of the easiest.

“Had it been Singapore, as an example, I think I pro

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