Bottas has an outstanding grid penalty that he will need to serve when he returns to the track, whether that is in Baku or when he makes his Cadillac debut at the start of next year.

At last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when he was driving for Sauber, the 36-year-old collided with Kevin Magnussen. For his part in the incident, he was handed a five-place grid drop for the next race in which he participates in addition to three penalty points.

It means Bottas will be forced to serve that penalty in Baku if he is forced to deputise for Russell this weekend. Alternatively, he will take a five-place drop at next year’s Australian Grand Prix if the Brit recovers in time.

Russell’s illness comes amid ongoing speculation about his long-term future with Mercedes. Toto Wolff has stated that he will be handed a new contract, with his current one expiring at the end of this year, but confirmation of any new deal is yet to arrive.

Speaking at the Dutch Grand Prix last month, Wolff said: “We clearly know what we expect from each other, what we want. It’s a formality.

“But at the same time, it’s important to discuss even the slightest details, like how we can extract the most performance out of George or how to structure his marketing obligations.”

Russell, meanwhile, added: “Toto and the team were very willing to work through the summer break to come to a resolution, but I wanted just to take that time because those two weeks are pretty precious for all of us.

“There’s no major rush, and I don’t want to really put a timeline on it. When it will happen, it will happen. If that’s next week, a month, two months, three months, it will be what it will be.”

Russell will be hoping to recover swiftly ahead of Sunday’s race in Baku. He currently sits fourth in the Drivers’ Championship standings, 36 points behind Max Verstappen in third and 31 points clear of fifth-placed Charles Leclerc.

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