British racing driver Jamie Chadwick believes George Russell escaped a "world of pain" by being ill in Azerbaijan rather than Singapore.
Russell was unwell throughout the Azerbaijan GP, forcing the driver to miss media day at the Baku City Circuit in an attempt to be fit enough to drive.
Despite still feeling under the weather, Russell completed all sessions in Baku. The Briton qualified in fifth but rose to finish second in the grand prix, following a successful overcut on both Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz.
A pivotal part of his podium finish was an aggressive approach to the pit lane ahead of his pit stop, something which impressed Chadwick.
Race day was the best Russell had felt all grand prix weekend, allowing him to speak to the media where he revealed that had it been Singapore, he would not have raced.
Chadwick also raised this point following the Mercedes driver's podium, noting how lucky the 27-year-old was that his illness did not take place at the hot and humid Marina Bay Circuit.
"I think people are realising how ill he actually was across the weekend, and I think he's a little bit lucky it was Baku," said Chadwick on the the Sky F1 Show podcast.
"I think he mentioned it as well, but if it was Singapore or something, that would have been a whole world of pain, and possibly not even possible for him to drive. I think Baku is slightly less physically intense in that sense, but an unbelievable drive.
"I think his pace on the hard tyre was not quite a match for Verstappen, but certainly a big step on anyone else that he was surrounded by. And then the big stand up for me with George was his pit entry.
"I think if you watch his pit entry, I sort of watched it through one eye, because it was insanely committed, and he gained, I think, two seconds in that pit entry phase. So I think all those little details gave him second place."
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