George Russell fumes after Mercedes failure ruins Canadian GP lead

George Russell was furious after his Mercedes conked out while leading the Canadian GP and threw a tantrum in disappointment.

The Brit was battling with his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli over the open laps of the race, with the two coming perilously close to making contact.

It was thrilling stuff to watch as the two traded positions before Russell’s race was cut short by a power unit failure on lap 30. Russell pulled over, threw his headrest from his cockpit from his stricken car.

Once clear of the track, he stood still before throwing his race gloves down in a fit of rage. That also earned him a visit to the stewards after the race. Russell, who now trails Antonelli by 43 points after the 19-year-old won the race, came into the weekend saying he was looking to recoup some of the points he’d lost in the opening races this season.

He won the sprint race and took pole for the GP before his car broke down. He said: “I mean, just everything turned off all of a sudden, just went into the corner, the engine stops. No electronics, no power, a bit lost for words, to be honest right now. “

I'm proud of my weekend. Pole in the sprint, won the sprint. Pole in qualifying. I was leading when I stopped, I had a good battle with Kimi. “From my side, I don't feel like there was anything more I could have done this weekend, so I will leave satisfied.

“Of course, I'm pretty damn frustrated with what's happened, but what more can I do?”

Russell was comforted by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff when he made his way back to the paddock. Wolff had been seen radioing the pit wall during the intense battle between Russell and Antonelli, with the Italian complaining again about Russell's driving, accusing him of pushing him off the track.

Both drivers had been warned to keep the racing “tidy”. When Russell was asked about the in-team fighting for the second day running after the two came close to making contact on Saturday in Montreal.

Russell added: “I loved that, to be honest. I was really enjoying it. lt felt like the karting days. We didn't make any contact. It was hard. Close. Yeah, I loved it. I loved it. I just wish it had continued a few more laps.”

Wolff added: "As a team, we had so many situations where it is bittersweet. You are extremely happy for one driver but gutted for the other one.