George Russell has conceded that the Formula One drivers' championship is now out of reach following a series of setbacks and the outstanding form of his Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli. The British driver finds himself 68 points adrift after Antonelli secured his fifth consecutive victory in Monaco.
Russell's Difficult Run Continues
Speaking ahead of Sunday's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, Russell acknowledged the widening gap. 'The pressure feels off,' he said. 'I'm going to try to enjoy every race, not even think about the championship: it's so far out of reach. It's just going to enjoy the races and have fun, drive fast and do what I know I'm capable of doing.'
The 28-year-old's latest misfortune came in Monaco, where he was one of five drivers penalised for speeding in the pit lane. His initial five-second penalty was incorrectly observed, leading to a further drive-through punishment. He finished 12th while Antonelli delivered a flawless drive to extend his lead, and Lewis Hamilton moved into second for Ferrari.
Russell was more upbeat than after Sunday's race, when he described his frustration as 'beyond frustration'. He led the Canadian Grand Prix last month but was forced to retire due to a battery failure, and also suffered costly bad luck in China and Japan in March.
Reflecting on the Season
'It has been very tough,' Russell said of dealing with Sunday's disappointment. 'But when I've sat down and thought about this season as a whole – if it was just a neutral season, I think I'd have had three more podiums and it would have been five out of six races on the podium, maybe a couple of wins, two out of three sprint race victories.'
'I'd probably be slightly behind Kimi, but the picture is totally different. Now I'm going to do every race to try to control the controllables. I can't do anything about the engine breaking down, I can't do anything about a bad safety car timing or this pit lane infringement situation. That is out of my control.'
Alpine Appeal and Tyre Announcement
Alpine were the only team to appeal against the pit lane speeding penalties after Pierre Gasly was denied a place on the podium. On Thursday, two elements of their case were ruled admissible by the FIA, with a final decision expected on Friday. Gasly described losing third in Monaco as 'the hardest day I've had in F1 and in my sport career', but new evidence suggesting speed measurements may have been inaccurate could see him reinstated to third, currently held by Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.
Meanwhile, the FIA have announced that Pirelli will remain the single tyre supplier for Formula One until 2028.
