Why Russell had ‘to get out’ after Antonelli’s title win

Mercedes driver George Russell admitted he needed to leave the Mexico City Grand Prix circuit immediately after suffering another frustrating race and watching teammate Kimi Antonelli secure the F1 Drivers' Championship. Russell missed out on a potential victory due to a power unit deployment issue at the start and a subsequent collision with Isack Hadjar, which resulted in a 10-second penalty and a sixth-place finish. Reflecting on his campaign in Sao Paulo, Russell revealed that he has faced technical issues in 14 out of 20 races this season, compared to just four in 2023. The relentless setbacks, including a power unit failure while leading in Canada, left him feeling mentally exhausted and prompted him to skip post-race media duties to clear his mind.