RaceFans has reported:

George Russell says his performance has not been good enough this year, regardless of luck, and has contributed to the fading of his championship hopes. The Mercedes driver spoke after his latest retirement, at Sepang last weekend, and said he wants to focus first on what he can control.

“I don’t feel my performance has been good enough this year, independent of good luck and bad luck,” Russell said. “I feel that whenever I do have bad luck, of course I can be disappointed about it, but I want to focus on the things I can control first.”

Russell is not dwelling on his misfortune. He said his record against team-mates has typically been strong across his Formula 1 years, particularly in qualifying, where he estimated his results had been around 80-20 in his favour. This season, he said, the balance may be 40-60 or worse.

Russell beat Antonelli 21-3 in grand prix qualifying sessions last season. Antonelli has had the stronger record this year, leading Russell 9-7 ahead of this weekend’s race.

“All of my years in Formula 1, I’ve always had a great record against my team mates,” Russell said. “Especially in qualifying I think it was sort of like 80-20 in my qualifying records. This year I’m, I don’t know, 40-60 or maybe even less.”

He said that comparison showed he had not performed well enough this season, regardless of good or bad luck. Russell suggested that acknowledging his own shortcomings may be why the setbacks affect him less than they might in different circumstances. He said that each weekend he looks at himself in the mirror and considers what he could do better.

“So that really shows I haven’t done a good enough job this season, independent of the good luck or the bad luck. So I guess that’s why it maybe isn’t affecting me as much. As it would in different circumstances. And, you know, every weekend I just wake up, look at myself in the mirror and think what I can do better.”

Russell also expects to take another engine penalty before the season is over. He said the current race would be among the least favourable places on the calendar to take one, with only Monaco lower on his preferred list, but that circumstances have left the team with no choice but to take it here.

“Obviously, if you could choose where to take the penalty in the season, this would be probably the second-bottom of the list after Monaco,” he said. “But unfortunately, just with how things have panned out, we have no choice but to take it here.”

With seven races still to run after this event, Russell said another penalty may also be needed later in the season. He described the situation as not ideal.

“Also because it’s so early, we’ve still got seven races to go, we’ll probably have to take another one down the line as well. So obviously it’s not an ideal situation.”