Russell proud of his weekend despite heartbreaking retirement in Canada

George Russell left the Canadian Grand Prix with mixed emotions after a weekend in which he delivered some of his strongest performances of the season, only for a Power Unit failure to force him out of the race while leading.

The Mercedes driver had been locked in a thrilling wheel‑to‑wheel battle with teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli before his car came to a halt, ending what had been shaping up to be one of the standout duels of the year.

Russell started from pole but suffered a slow launch, losing out to both Antonelli and Lando Norris. Once Norris pitted early, Antonelli was released into clean air — but Russell quickly fought back, retaking the lead.

What followed was a relentless, high‑intensity fight between the two Mercedes drivers. Both locked up, ran wide, went side‑by‑side, and came close to contact multiple times, yet the battle remained clean and respectful.

The lead changed hands repeatedly, with Antonelli appearing slightly faster while Russell was tidier and more precise. The duel looked set to continue until the final laps — until Russell suddenly slowed and pulled off the track with a loss of power, punching his car in disbelief as his race ended.

Antonelli went on to win his fourth consecutive race, extending his championship lead over Russell to 43 points.

Despite the disappointment, Russell spoke with pride about his performance across the entire event. He said: “I am proud of my weekend, no matter that it ended in a retirement today. I took pole for the Sprint, won that race, took pole for the Grand Prix and was leading before we had the Power Unit issue that finished our race.

"I know there is nothing more I could have done this weekend to perform and that fills me with confidence moving forward into the rest of the season. It is of course a painful way to finish our Canadian Grand Prix weekend, but I will leave here satisfied that I did my best.”

Russell emphasised how much he had enjoyed the on‑track fight with Antonelli, describing it as one of the most exciting battles of his career:

“Up until lap 30, I was thoroughly enjoying the race. I loved the battle with Kimi, and I am sure he did too. It was like going back to karting days where you are racing wheel‑to‑wheel, swapping the lead multiple times. I hope everyone enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoyed being in it. I just wish we could have continued it until the end of the Grand Prix.”