George Russell has admitted the Formula One drivers' championship is 'out of reach' after a series of setbacks and the dominant form of his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli. The 28-year-old Briton trails Antonelli by 68 points ahead of Sunday's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
Russell's latest misfortune came in Monaco, where he was penalised for speeding in the pit lane and finished 12th, while Antonelli won his fifth consecutive race. 'The pressure feels off,' Russell said on Thursday. 'I'm going to try to enjoy every race, not even think about the championship: it's so far out of reach.'
Despite the gap, Russell remains upbeat about his own performances, noting that without bad luck he would have had three more podiums. 'I'd probably be slightly behind Kimi, but the picture is totally different,' he said. 'Now I'm going to do every race to try to control the controllables.'
In related news, Alpine's appeal against Pierre Gasly's pit lane speeding penalty in Monaco has been partially upheld, with a final decision expected on Friday. Gasly described losing third place as 'the hardest day I've had in F1'.
Meanwhile, the FIA has confirmed that Pirelli will remain the sole tyre supplier for Formula One until 2028.
