George Russell admitted the Formula One championship is now "Kimi Antonelli's to lose" after suffering a crushing retirement while leading the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver looked on course for a huge victory in Montreal after starting from pole position and battling teammate Antonelli in a thrilling fight for the lead.
The pair went wheel-to-wheel throughout the opening half of the race and even made contact as tensions rose between the Mercedes duo.
But Russell's hopes of victory, and potentially his title challenge, collapsed dramatically on lap 30 when his car suddenly failed while he was leading.
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The Brit was left stranded after a sudden power unit issue shut down his Mercedes without warning, allowing Antonelli to seize control of the race before storming to his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory.
The result leaves Antonelli 43 points clear in the drivers' standings after only five races.
Russell admitted afterwards that the championship now appears firmly in the Italian's hands.
George Russell was left stranded after a sudden power unit issue shut down his Mercedes without warning, allowing Kimi Antonelli to seize control of the race before storming to his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory.
| REUTERS"I mean, right now it's his to lose," Russell said. "It's so many points ahead."
The 27-year-old also pointed to a series of cruel setbacks that have derailed his campaign already this season.
"It feels like the gods don't want me to be in this fight," he added.
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Despite the frustration, Russell insisted he will now approach the remainder of the season with freedom and aggression.
"Pressure's off," he explained.
"Go out, enjoy every single race, try and win every single race - and I've got nothing to lose."
The retirement was particularly painful given how competitive Russell had looked all weekend.
The Mercedes driver secured sprint pole, sprint victory and pole position for the Grand Prix itself before dominating large parts of Sunday's race.
He also admitted he had thoroughly enjoyed battling Antonelli on track.
George Russell now trails Kimi Antonelli by 43 points in the F1 standings
|GETTY
"I had a good battle with Kimi," Russell said. "Hard battles, I really loved the battle and I wanted to continue for 30 more laps."
Russell later revealed the frightening details behind his sudden mechanical failure.
"Everything turned off all of a sudden as I went into the corner," he explained. "The engine stopped, no electronics, no proper braking."
Antonelli's latest triumph further cemented his status as Formula One's breakout star after an astonishing start to only his second season in the sport.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted the battle between his two drivers had created mixed emotions on the pit wall.
"You're extremely happy for one driver and his driving, and then you feel gutted for the other one," Wolff said. "But in any case, Kimi has done a splendid job today and deserved to win."