Russell Lost Canadian Grand Prix as Antonelli Leads by 43

George Russell lost the Canadian Grand Prix on lap 30 after a battery failure ended his race while he was battling Kimi Antonelli wheel to wheel for the lead in Montreal. Antonelli won and left Canada with a 43-point championship lead over Russell after five races.

Montreal Battery Failure

Russell’s retirement came after he had taken pole for the Grand Prix and won the sprint pole and sprint race position earlier in the weekend. The result cut off a chance to turn a strong Canadian weekend into a much larger points gain, after he had already won the first round in Australia.

Canada had looked like a track where Russell could recover ground. He had taken two poles in a row there before this weekend, and he also won in Canada last year.

Russell After Canada

After the race, Russell said, “Right now it’s his to lose,” and added, “He is so many points ahead. It feels like the gods don’t want me to be in this fight. But you know, the pressure’s off. Go out, enjoy every single race. Try to win every single race. I’ve got nothing to lose.”

He also said, “It is, of course, frustrating, but I want to be in that fight. Hopefully, the luck will turn.”

Five Races, 17 Meetings

The gap matters because Russell had already seen his season swing through a run of uneven results before Montreal. He had two technical problems in qualifying in China, finished fourth in Japan after a safety car timing issue benefited Antonelli, and was off the pace in Miami.

Antonelli, the 19-year-old Mercedes teammate who beat Russell in Canada, now carries the lead after five races with 17 meetings remaining. Russell’s own comments put the position plainly: the title fight is still open, but the margin means he has to win ground race by race from here.