‘The Gods don’t want me in this fight’: George Russell reacts to costly Canada F1 exit

George Russell says “it feels like the Gods don’t want me in this fight” following his retirement from the lead of the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver engaged in a hard battle with team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli over the lead of the race for almost the first 30 laps.

But, while running in the lead on lap 29, George Russell’s car broke down as he went into the Turn 8/9 section of the circuit.

The DNF handed victory to Antonelli, who has now opened up a 43-point lead in the championship after five rounds. 

“Everything just turned off all of a sudden,” Russell told Sky Sports.

“I just went into the corner, engine stopped, no electronics, no proper braking. Bit lost for words, to be honest. Can’t really say much more.”

“It’s his to lose”

Russell looked to be swinging momentum back in his favour, having qualified on pole twice in Canada and won the sprint.

But Antonelli’s fourth grand prix victory in succession has put the championship favourite tag firmly in the Italian’s hands now, as far as Russell is concerned.

“Right now it’s his to lose,” he told the media, including Crash.net, on Sunday.

“He’s so many points ahead, it feels like the Gods don’t want me to be in this fight, when I look at safety car timing in Japan, breaking down in China Q3 while fighting for pole, breaking down from the lead here today.

“But pressure is off. Go out and enjoy every single race, try and win every single race, and I’ve got nothing to lose.

“I don’t want to be stood here talking like that, it is, of course, frustrating, and I want to be in that fight. Hopefully, the luck turns.”

Mercedes management warned both Antonelli and Russell about during their battle in the grand prix, after banging wheels at one point.

But Russell believes both drivers “had it under control”.

“We know how we need to race and, as I said, I think we both had it under control, and it was great.

“I really enjoyed it personally. It was exceptionally difficult this circuit to break that one-second overtake mode.

“You were gaining six tenths probably, including the slipstream on the lap, so it was very difficult to break.

“The set-up of the overtake mode, the boost, it works, and that’s great.”