George Russell issues verdict on F1 championship fight after Sepang DNF

His team-mate, the runaway championship leader Kimi Antonelli, crossed the line second, joining Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton on the podium as he extended his points advantage to 84 with just seven rounds left in the season.

Russell’s championship hopes were already rapidly fading coming into this weekend, but this latest disappointment, his third retirement of the season, is a hammer blow to his chances of claiming a first-ever drivers’ title.

"You've almost got to laugh,” he tole Sky Sports post-race. “I'm beyond disappointment.

Marshals recover george Russell’s car after his late DNF at Sepang

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“It's just so many times this season it's happened. It's a real shame. Of course, (I will) just keep on fighting. Just keep on trying to go podium to podium.

"(I drove a) solid race. Not amazing race but solid race. Not the first time so I'm probably used to these feelings and these questions, let's say."

Pressed as to whether he had any remaining hope of catching Antonelli in the drivers’ championship, Russell acknowledged the odds were no longer in his favour.

“I don't need to say I think it's gone but, of course, it's exceptionally unlikely and that's just the reality,” he said.

“I knew if I wanted to come back, I needed luck on my side. Unfortunately, I had luck not on my side.

“So, you know, a three-point loss today, being behind Kimi, turned into an 18-point loss.

George Russell was running second when he was forced to retire from the Bahrain Grand Prix

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“Of course, if it was on the other side it would have been an 18-point gain. So it's a real shame, but that's just how it is.”

The F1 circus heads to Singapore next as Russell looks to salvage his campaign.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said Russell’s DNF added he is frustrated by the growing pattern of Mercedes cars failing to finish races.

"I am so massively annoyed and not in a happy place,” he fumed. "And then the race literally went against us. We had such an advantage, one VSC, two safety cars, you couldn't be more unlucky. To make things worse, PU failure with a few laps to go until the end with George. Which is terrible for his championship and not good at all for our constructor points.

“As much as I love to be here, when I look at the pure races, one of my worst experiences to be honest.”

"It is just this overarching topic of the DNFs that could cost us dearly, also for the remaining seven races. Our championship has quickly turned around against you if you have a DNF and that is why that can't continue.”

Mercedes remain 151 points clear atop the constructors’ standings, with nearly three times as many race wins this season as their closest rivals, Ferrari and McLaren, put together.