Russell left heartbroken after retirement from Canadian GP lead

Russell looked to be in a good position for much of the race in Montreal after starting from pole position and engaging in a spectacular fight for victory with Antonelli. The two Mercedes drivers ran nose-to-tail for lap after lap in one of the most exciting battles of the season.

But on Lap 30, Russell’s race came to a sudden end when his Mercedes suffered a terminal power unit issue while leading the Grand Prix. The Briton was clearly furious as he climbed out of the car, knowing another huge opportunity had slipped away.

“Disbelief,” Russell said after the race, as quoted by official F1 website.

“It feels like somebody doesn't want me to fight or compete for this championship. Three out of the last five races there's just been something really going against us. I’m just a bit lost for words right now,” Russell added.

Russell’s retirement opened the door for Antonelli to continue his sensational form, with the Italian securing a fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory and extending his championship advantage over his team mate to 43 points ahead of Monaco.

Despite the painful ending, Russell remained proud of his own performance during the weekend, especially after facing criticism following a difficult Miami Grand Prix.

“Yeah, I loved the battle,” he said about his duel with Antonelli.

“I was happy with how I handled it, how I drove and I'm just pleased with the weekend in terms of my own personal performance. There were a lot of doubters maybe after Miami and a lot of chat, but I know what I can do. Pole in the Sprint, win the Sprint, pole in Qualifying, leading the race. Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps. I would have loved to see how it would have panned out but here we are,” the Mercedes driver concluded.