George Russell: “You’ve got to laugh” at bad luck as F1 title drifts away
Russell retired from the Bahrain GP in Malaysia late on, as a podium finish looked all but certain
George Russell described his misfortune at the Bahrain Grand Prix as laughable following the power unit failure that cost him a podium finish. The Mercedes driver started seventh on the grid but moved to second by lap one, behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli. He was passed by Max Verstappen early on, but a safety car period allowed him to overtake Antonelli on the outside of Turn 5, though the Italian reclaimed second place just eight laps later.
A late safety car provided Russell with another opportunity to challenge for victory, but a power unit failure ended his race before the final restart. Russell told Sky Sports F1 after his third retirement this season: "You’ve got to laugh." He acknowledged it was a real shame but vowed to keep fighting. The British driver is aware of his significant deficit to championship rival Antonelli, now 84 points behind.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff described the Bahrain GP as one of his "worst experiences" personally, as Red Bull secured its first victory of the year. Wolff expressed frustration with the team's lack of speed before the weekend and the subsequent setbacks, including the PU failure that cost Russell the race. The team principal is confident they will recover and come back strong.
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