George Russell retired with a power unit failure late in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, losing a likely podium finish and seeing his deficit to Formula 1 championship leader and Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli grow to 84 points. Russell had been in contention for victory after a strong start and a late safety car, but the failure struck before the final restart.

Russell started seventh at Sepang. With the track damp, Mercedes chose intermediate tyres, and a rapid launch carried him to second by Turn 1, behind Antonelli. Max Verstappen passed him on lap six, but a first safety car period gave Russell an opportunity to move back ahead of his team-mate at the restart.

Russell swept around Antonelli on the outside of Turn 5, leaving the Italian rookie in third. Antonelli regained second place eight laps later, and the top three order held through further drama. A late safety car then offered Russell another chance to challenge for the win, but his car failed before racing resumed.

“You've almost got to laugh,” Russell told Sky Sports F1 after his third retirement of the season, and his second technical non-finish. “It's beyond disappointment. It's just, so many times this season it's happened. Of course, it's a real shame, but… Just keep on fighting. Just keep on trying to go.”

He described his performance as a solid one and said the podium had appeared within reach. “The podium, of course, looked very certain. Solid race, not amazing race, but solid race.” Russell added that he was familiar with the frustration: “Not the first time, so I'm pretty used to this feeling and these questions, let's say.”

Russell said he would continue to fight, but acknowledged that winning the title had become highly unlikely. He avoided declaring the championship out of reach, while recognizing the size of the gap to Antonelli. “I don't need to say I think it's gone or whatever,” he said. “But, of course, it’s exceptionally unlikely, and that's just the reality.”

Russell said he had understood that a comeback would require luck, which he felt had not been on his side. The retirement turned what would have been a three-point loss to Antonelli into an 18-point loss, he said. “I knew if I wanted to come back I needed luck on my side. Unfortunately, I've had luck not on my side. So, you know, a three-point loss today being behind Kimi turned into an 18-point loss. Of course, if the issue was on the other side, it would have been an 18-point gain.”

He concluded: “So, yeah, it's a real shame. It's a real shame, but that's just how it is.” The result was another setback for Russell as the season continued, with the title gap reaching a level he had not previously faced.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called the event one of his “worst experiences” personally. Red Bull took its first victory of the year over Mercedes, while Russell’s retirement also cost the team points in the constructors’ championship. Wolff told Sky he was “massively annoyed” and “not in a happy place.”

“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,” Wolff said. He also pointed to the race’s turns of fortune, including a fight involving Lewis Hamilton and the safety car periods: “Then the race literally went, if you consider the fight with Lewis [Hamilton] behind, went against us. We had such an advantage, one VSC, two safety cars. I mean, you couldn't be more unlucky. And to make things worse, 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.”

Wolff praised Antonelli for “doing the job,” then warned that repeated retirements could have serious consequences over the remaining seven races. “It's just this overarching topic, the DNFs, that could cost us dearly also for the remaining seven races. A championship is quickly turned around against you or for you if you have a DNF, and that's why that can't continue.”

Mercedes was outscored by Ferrari at Sepang for the first time since the summer break, although Ferrari remained 151 points behind in the constructors’ standings. Hamilton’s deficit to Antonelli in the drivers’ standings had risen to 106 points. Wolff said the team had an action plan and credited technical director James Allison and his leadership team with overseeing it.

“That lifts my mood because I know we have such a tremendous group of people,” Wolff said. “In the same way as we have with HPP, they're going to sort it out. But that gives me real relief for the moment to know they are the best and they are going to find a solution. And I think we will come back strong.”

Based on reporting by Autosport.