George Russell on bad luck as F1 title hopes fade: "You've got to laugh"

George Russell came into the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia with high hopes after taking victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the week before.

However, after closing the gap in the F1 Championship, the British driver had an unfortunate end to his weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, as he suffered a technical issue.

Russell led the early stages of the race, but settled into a rhythm in third place after being passed by Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli. 

It appeared that he would only drop three points to his Mercedes teammate, but on lap 50, whilst under safety car conditions, Russell pulled over to the side of the circuit as his race came to an end due to a power unit issue.

After the race, Russell said, "Yeah, I mean, you've almost got to laugh, it's, you know, beyond disappointment. It's just that so many times this season it's happened. It's a real shame. 

“Of course, it's a real shame, but just keep on fighting, you know? Just keep on trying to go. The podium, of course, looked very certain. 

“Solid race, not an amazing race, but a solid race. But yeah, not the first time, so I'm pretty used to this feeling and these questions, I'd say."

The 28-year-old is now 84 points behind Antonelli in the championship. After keeping his title hopes alive in Baku, Russell was asked whether he believes his title championship challenge is over.

"I don't need to say I think it's gone or whatever,” he stated. 

“But of course it's exceptionally unlikely, and that's just the reality. I knew if I wanted to come back, I needed luck on my side, and unfortunately, I've had luck not on my side. 

“So, you know, a 3-point loss today, being behind Kimi, turned into an 18-point loss. And of course, if the issue was on the other side, it would have been an 18-point gain. 

“So, it's a real shame. It's a real shame, but that's just how it is."