Russell’s championship dreams hit by cruel power unit failure in Sepang
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SEPANG, Malaysia, Oct 4 : George Russell’s Formula One title hopes took a crushing blow when his Mercedes ground to a halt with a power unit failure five laps from the finish, turning what looked like a certain podium into heartbreak at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday.
The British driver was running in a strong position to claim valuable championship points when the second safety car emerged for Alex Albon’s Williams, which was stuck in the gravel.
But as the field prepared for a thrilling finale behind the safety car, Russell – who was third behind eventual race winner Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli – suddenly parked his car on the main straight and shook his head as he climbed out.
“You’ve almost got to laugh, it’s beyond disappointment. It’s just so many times this season it’s happened. It’s a real shame,” Russell said.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
“The podium looked very certain. Solid race, not amazing race, but solid race. But not the first time, so I’m pretty used to this feeling.”
The retirement meant Russell’s championship deficit grew from 66 points to 84 behind Antonelli.
“I don’t need to say I think it’s (championship hopes) gone or whatever, but of course it’s exceptionally unlikely and that’s just the reality,” Russell added.
“I knew if I wanted to come back, I needed luck on my side… It’s a real shame.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed it was a power unit failure on Russell’s car.
“I’m so massively annoyed. I’m not in a happy place,” Wolff said.
“First of all we didn’t have the speed that we were hoping to have before the weekend, so there’s a lot of homework to be done in order to recover, which I’m sure we will.”
With the two Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finishing third and fourth, Mercedes’ lead in the constructors’ standings is now 151 points.
“We had such an advantage (with) two safety cars, you couldn’t be more unlucky,” Wolff added.
“And to make things worse, a PU failure with a few laps to go to the end with George, which is terrible for his championship and not good at all for our constructor points.
“So as much as I love to be here, when I look at the pure races, one of my worst experiences, to be honest.”
Source: Reuters
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
