George Russell suffered a devastating late retirement at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, dealing a huge blow to his already slim Formula 1 championship hopes. The Mercedes driver had been fighting near the front before his car ground to a halt behind the Safety Car, allowing team mate Kimi Antonelli to extend his championship advantage to 84 points.

Key Highlights

• George Russell retired late on after his Mercedes stopped on the start/finish straight behind the Safety Car.
• Russell’s championship deficit to Antonelli grew from 66 to 84 points with seven rounds remaining.
• Lando Norris lost valuable positions after running through the gravel behind the Safety Car before recovering to ninth.
• Alex Albon and Valtteri Bottas also failed to finish, while several drivers lost strong positions during the chaotic race.

Russell Suffers Crushing Late Retirement

Russell’s Bahrain Grand Prix had been heading towards a strong result before disaster struck in the closing stages. The Mercedes driver initially moved into second after the start, before Verstappen worked his way past him.

Russell later regained the position from Antonelli before the Italian reclaimed second on Lap 21. He then made his planned final stop on Lap 33, taking soft tyres. However, he questioned the timing of the decision over team radio.

“Why have we pulled the trigger so early?” Russell asked after being told he would not be stopping again.

Despite the setback, Russell remained in contention for a strong finish. That all changed during the final Safety Car period. As the field circulated behind the Safety Car, Russell’s Mercedes suddenly ground to a halt just before Turn 1.

The Briton was forced to retire from the race, ending what had been a promising afternoon most painfully. His reaction summed up the frustration as he shouted over the radio after the car stopped.

Championship Hopes Take Another Major Hit

The timing of Russell’s retirement could hardly have been worse for his title ambitions. After winning in Azerbaijan, Russell had reduced Antonelli’s championship advantage to 66 points. Antonelli’s second-place finish in Malaysia, combined with Russell’s zero-point result, pushed that gap back out to 84 points.

With only seven rounds remaining, Russell now faces a much steeper challenge in his attempt to fight for the championship. Antonelli had already been set to increase his advantage by three points before Russell’s retirement. Instead, the Mercedes team mate walked away with a considerably larger advantage after Russell's late failure.

Norris Throws Away Another Strong Position

Lando Norris also endured a frustrating late phase to the race. The McLaren driver had been running behind team mate Oscar Piastri before the final restart, but he lost control of his car behind the Safety Car while approaching the first corner.

Norris ran through the gravel and dropped down the order, eventually finding himself outside the points. He recovered after the restart, passing Lindblad to return to the top 10, but could only manage ninth at the chequered flag. It was a costly mistake in a race where McLaren had both cars in contention for a stronger result.

Photo: REUTERS

Albon and Bottas Add to the DNF List

Williams driver Alex Albon was another casualty of the chaotic race. Albon stopped out on track on Lap 43, triggering a Virtual Safety Car and eventually contributing to the full Safety Car period that preceded Russell’s retirement. His stoppage also created another strategic opportunity for the leaders to make pit stops.

Earlier in the race, Bottas had spun in the final sector, bringing out the first Safety Car and helping trigger the switch from intermediate tyres to slicks. The Cadillac driver was unable to recover and became another non-finisher. Russell, Albon and Bottas were ultimately the three drivers who failed to finish the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Ocon and Hulkenberg Lose Out Late

Esteban Ocon was another driver who saw a promising result disappear as the race developed. Ocon had made strong progress during the early stages and was running as high as sixth. However, the changing strategies and Safety Car periods worked against him, eventually dropping the Haas driver to 15th. Nico Hulkenberg also narrowly missed out on points after spending time in the top 10. The Audi driver finished 11th.

Carlos Sainz and Gabriel Bortoleto were further affected by their mid-race collision, with Bortoleto receiving a 10-second penalty. Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, survived a frightening moment during the formation lap after almost crashing on slick tyres. He eventually finished 16th.

For Russell, however, the disappointment was by far the biggest. His late retirement not only ended a strong race but also left Antonelli with an 84-point championship advantage heading into the final seven rounds.