Russell and Antonelli had been locked in a thrilling battle for the lead for 30 laps at the Canadian GP before a battery failure brought the latter's race to a cruel end. To make matters worse, Russell then received a suspended €5000 fine for throwing his headrest out of the W17 in anger.

The 28-year-old's mood was clear speaking after the race, now claiming that the 2026 title is Antonelli's to lose. The 19-year-old Italian, already F1's youngest-ever championship leader, became the first driver ever to achieve their first four race wins consecutively in Montreal.

Speaking to media, including GPblog, Russell said: "Right now, it's his to lose; there are so many points ahead. It feels like the gods don't want me to be in this fight when I look at the safety car timing in Japan, breaking down in China Q3, fighting for pole, breaking down from the lead here today.

Team principal Toto Wolff, however, has no doubts in Russell's ability to dust himself off and go again in the title fight, claiming there is no other driver more resilient and determined than the 28-year-old Silver Arrows driver.

Wolff, speaking to media, including GPblog, Wolff responded to Russell's bleak post-race comments: "Well, things have been going against him in the last few races. Today certainly would have been big points to collect.

Meanwhile, the Austrian has also warned Antonelli and Russell that Mercedes could issue team orders in the future should their battles become any more intense. The Canadian GP weekend saw several close encounters between the duo, and while Wolff initially admitted he enjoyed the intra-Mercedes battle, he is willing to put a stop to their scraps if points are at risk.

Wolff said: "Definitely, more than ever, this fight is on. There’s so much at stake for both. There’s so much at stake that we have as a team. As uncomfortable as the ride is sometimes, you have to accept that this is the fight, the fight that’s been trained for.