Formula 1: An amazing opportunity for Valtteri Bottas?

What has been billed a huge Formula 1 opportunity for George Russell may be an even bigger opportunity for Valtteri Bottas.

Mercedes junior driver George Russell, who is in his second full season of Formula 1 competition with Williams, was called upon by the Silver Arrows this weekend to replace seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel of his W11 for this Sunday’s Sakhir Grand Prix at Bahrain International Circuit.

After winning this past Sunday’s 57-lap race around the track’s regular 15-turn, 3.363-mile (5.412-kilometer) layout, Hamilton tested positive for COVID-19.

This forced him to be sidelined for this Sunday’s 87-lap race around the outer 11-turn, 2.202-mile (3.544-kilometer) layout and ending his record-breaking streak of 265 consecutive starts going back to the start of his career in 2007.

Russell has long been seen as the replacement for either Hamilton or Valtteri Bottas, whomever departs from the team first, and as a result, this weekend has been billed as a huge opportunity for the 22-year-old Briton to prove his worth.

But this weekend is arguably even bigger for Bottas, who has clearly not matched up to Hamilton.

However, at the same time, this presents him with an opportunity, one in which he can illustrate to the team that he can continue to be a valuable asset even after Hamilton retires — much more than the “solid number two driver” he currently is.

He continues to sign one-year deals with the team, effectively as that number two driver; his 2021 deal marks five in a row. But should he have a bigger role in their future?

Russell is coming off of a race weekend that saw him tie Nelson Piquet on the all-time list for most consecutive teammate qualifying battles won.

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He now trails only Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna on that list, and he has never lost a battle (36 for 36), marking what is by far the longest streak to start a career.

So while Russell has a chance to prove what he can do behind the wheel of a championship-winning car, he is a good position moving forward in the team’s eyes whether he gets beaten by his teammate or not. Toto Wolff has even warned fans against assuming that this weekend is a straight-up shootout for a 2022 seat. Russell is clearly in the team’s future plans regardless, and this weekend is certainly not the be-all and end-all for Bottas’s career.

In fact, it may be the exact opposite.

As silly as it may sound given Russell’s relative inexperience, Bottas effectively has a chance to beat one of the greatest qualifiers Formula 1 has ever seen.

Sure, Hamilton also fits that bill. But we know how he stacks up against Hamilton, one of the greatest all-around drivers the sport as ever seen.

And we also know how most drivers stack up against Hamilton, so is that really a fair comparison?

Even Nico Rosberg, who somehow managed to beat Hamilton to the 2016 world championship, was beaten handily by his teammate over their first three seasons together.

For Bottas, however, this unique opportunity is different, and he can capitalize on that to prove his value to the team by fending off a hungry youngster in equal equipment at a track where nobody has ever previously run.

How will Bottas perform against the new kid on the block, one who has yet to lose a battle in equal equipment to anybody? Tune in to ESPN News at 11:55 a.m. ET today for the live broadcast of the qualifying session for the Sakhir Grand Prix from Bahrain International Circuit, and tune in to ESPN tomorrow at 12:10 p.m. ET for the live broadcast of the race itself.