Russell faces steward scrutiny after major Canadian GP blow

The British driver has been summoned over an alleged breach of the International Sporting Code, adding even more frustration to a weekend already heavily compromised by a retirement that could prove hugely damaging for his championship hopes.

After five races and with a fourth consecutive victory now under his belt, Kimi Antonelli has started to break away in the drivers’ standings with 131 points, opening up a massive 43-point gap over his teammate. Russell now effectively finds himself almost two full race wins behind in the title fight.

Russell admitted he was still struggling to process what had happened after suddenly losing power while leading the Canadian Grand Prix, explaining that the car had completely shut down without warning and left him with no electronics or engine response. Despite the bitter disappointment of the retirement, the Brit insisted he could still take satisfaction from what he considered an extremely strong weekend overall after securing Sprint pole, winning the Sprint race and then claiming pole position once again for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver also underlined that he felt he had extracted everything possible from both himself and the car throughout the weekend, even if the frustration surrounding the retirement remained enormous given the potential result that slipped away. Russell was later seen being comforted by Toto Wolff upon returning to the paddock following the incident.

Reflecting on his intense battle with Antonelli, Russell made it clear he had thoroughly enjoyed the wheel-to-wheel fight with his teammate despite the tension between the pair over the radio during the race. The Brit described the duel as hard but fair, insisting it had reminded him of his karting days and admitting he would have liked the fight to continue for several more laps: “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.”