Russell after retiring in Belgium: 'I've become numb to disappointment'

While the race wasn’t even halfway through, Russell was already speaking to the press: "I made a great first corner and I was tucked up right behind Verstappen, but for whatever reason the battery decided not to recharge at Turn 1," Russell told the media, including GPblog.

Russell eventually made contact with Hamilton, who received a time penalty for the incident. But Russell doesn’t hold much against him: "I shouldn't have been in that position in the first place. And that's why I'm most angry. The incident with Lewis, obviously, I think, was a race incident. He didn't do it on purpose. So, yeah, he was more to blame than I was, but he didn't do anything reckless. It was just one of those things. I'm just most angry that I was in that position in the first place."

Why Russell suddenly had no more speed was the big question. The Brit himself couldn’t give an answer. In response to a question from GPblog, he said it wasn’t the same as previous issues, in any case. Still, it was another disappointment this season: "I'm numb to the disappointment, so when it happens so often, you just get used to it."

The race was eventually won by his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who now has a commanding lead in the drivers’ championship.