Kimi Antonelli makes feelings clear on Russell's bad luck claim

Mercedes has undoubtedly shown impressive pace so far this season, but its car has also been hampered by reliability issues. The team has suffered three retirements caused by technical failures, including one for Russell while leading in Montreal, and two for the championship leader in Barcelona and Silverstone, both coming while he was on course for major points.

Speaking during the Belgian Grand Prix press conference about the setbacks both Mercedes drivers have faced this season and the gap separating them in the championship standings, Antonelli acknowledged that Russell had also been on the receiving end of misfortune, pointing to Montreal as one of the clearest examples.

Antonelli, however, felt his own retirements had come at particularly costly moments, arguing that he was on course for what looked like almost certain points finishes. He highlighted Barcelona and Silverstone as races where he believed strong results had slipped away, while concluding that both he and Russell have suffered their fair share of bad luck this season.

Finally, Antonelli admitted Mercedes' reliability issues have cost both drivers a significant number of points, acknowledging the impact on the team's Constructors' Championship campaign while stressing that both he and Russell can only focus on making the most of every opportunity they are given: "As a team, definitely reliability has not been our strongest point. We've realised ourselves that is something that we need to keep working."