'He drove brilliantly all weekend' - Russell labelled 'a very worthy' Canadian GP winner

Both Mercedes drivers put on a show in Montreal, first treating fans to a fierce battle in the Sprint race, which was won by Russell, before going wheel-to-wheel once again in Sunday's Grand Prix. However, the outcome of that fight will never truly be known following Russell's retirement on lap 30. The Briton not only lost a potential victory but also surrendered a significant haul of championship points, a setback that could prove extremely costly in the title standings as the season progresses.

Speaking on the Silver Arrows Radio podcast, Lord reflected on Mercedes' mixed emotions after the race, with one side of the garage celebrating victory while the other was left wondering what might have been. He stressed that Russell was entirely blameless for his retirement and praised the Briton's performances throughout the weekend, arguing that his pace and results had more than justified a shot at victory.

Lord also highlighted Russell's dominant form in Montreal, which included two pole positions and a Sprint race win, insisting he would have been a thoroughly deserving Grand Prix winner had mechanical issues not brought his race to an early end.

Lord has admitted that the team faces a lengthy wait before it can fully determine the cause of the technical failure that ended Russell's Canadian Grand Prix. He explained that the problem originated within the car's ERS system, with the initial failure triggering additional damage that ultimately made retirement unavoidable. While Mercedes has already recovered the car and removed the affected component, the investigation remains at a very early stage due to the nature of the hardware involved.

The Mercedes deputy team principal revealed that the module had to undergo a series of specialised safety procedures before it could be transported back to the team's factory in Brackley. As a result, engineers will not be able to carry out a comprehensive analysis immediately, meaning the exact cause of the issue could remain unknown for some time. Lord added that Mercedes intends to conduct an extensive review of both the hardware and the available data once the component returns to the UK, with the goal of identifying the root cause of the failure and preventing similar incidents from affecting other cars in the future.