Brundle pinpoints the moment Russell lost the title

SINGAPORE – Martin Brundle has pinpointed George Russell’s DNF at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia as the moment the Briton’s title hopes went “out of the window”.

Russell’s deficit to Kimi Antonelli increased to 84 points at the Sepang circuit when his W17 ground to a halt with an engine failure, while Antonelli finished in second place. The gap was up to 89 after the Sprint in Singapore.

George Russell’s title hopes are ‘out of the window’

Russell’s woes after Bahrain were compounded when Mercedes announced he would take an engine penalty for the Singapore Grand Prix. The FIA confirmed on Friday that he would start the race from the back of the grid due to a 40-place grid drop.

The pain won’t end there as Russell revealed to PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in Singapore that he would “be taking another penalty at some point” before the end of this season.

“Feels a little bit one thing after another right now, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles,” he added.

Russell’s chances were slim even before the Bahrain Grand Prix, although his victory a race earlier in Azerbaijan had reduced his deficit to 66 points.

It’s now at 89 points after Russell, having grabbed the lead from Max Verstappen off the line at the Sprint in Singapore, crashed at the final corner on the opening lap.

In a wet start to the 20-lap race, Russell put wheels on the slippery paint on the exit of the final corner, and shot across the track and into the wall.

Although there are still 175 points in play, Brundle believes the championship race is over for his compatriot.

And he has pinpointed the Sepang race as the death knell.

“In terms of his championship chances, I think they’re out of the window now,” the former F1 driver turned commentator told Sky Sports F1.

“I think Malaysia was that moment, and if anybody makes a late-season charge at Kimi, I don’t see who that might be at the moment consistently.

“But if Ferrari or McLaren or Red Bull, they’re too far behind, aren’t they? So even that’s unrealistic.

“George is there to protect Kimi anyway if he can’t win the championship. I think all he can now do is do the best he can and see what happens.”

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Russell conceded after his Bahrain DNF that his chances of beating Antonelli to the title were very slim.

“I don’t need to say I think it’s gone or whatever, but of course, it’s exceptionally unlikely,” he told Sky Sports F1. “That’s just the reality.

“I knew if I wanted to come back I needed luck on my side. Unfortunately, I’ve had luck not on my side. A three-point loss 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. It’s a real shame, but that’s just how it is.”

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