George Russell F1 title hopes crushed after late drama at Bahrain Grand Prix

Russell hekelt gebrek aan F1-testdagen: 'In golf kun je wel eindeloos oefenen' — Photo: © IMAGO

Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

George Russell F1 title hopes crushed after late drama at Bahrain Grand Prix

Brutal

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson F1 Editor

Motorsport journalist covering F1 since 2024

Sunday 4 October 2026 14:54

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George Russell's F1 title hopes have been crushed after a brutal ending to his Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon.

The Mercedes star entered Sunday's race at Sepang International Circuit trailing championship leader and team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 66 points, already facing an uphill task to turn that around.

That was set to be extended to 69 points late on in the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Russell sitting third behind Antonelli on lap 50 out of 55.

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However, disaster then struck for the British star, forced to park his Mercedes at the side of the track after experiencing a power unit issue while still under the safety car.

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Russell DNF at Bahrain GP, title hopes take battering

Max Verstappen went on to hold on to his lead and win the race, followed home by Antonelli in second and Lewis Hamilton in third after a tremendous recovery drive for Ferrari.

All of the above means that Kimi Antonelli now sits on 320 points, with 18 added to his tally on Sunday. That means that Russell now trails his team-mate by 84 points with just seven rounds of the season remaining.

If that wasn't bad enough, he's now also under pressure to hold on to second spot once again, too, with Lewis Hamilton's 15 points putting him just 22 points behind the Brit heading to Singapore next weekend.

F1 2026 drivers' standings Top Three after Bahrain GP
Pos	Driver	Team	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	320
2	George Russell	Mercedes	236
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	214

Russell reacts to Bahrain GP DNF

A downbeat Russell addressed the media post-race, and the disappointment on his face and in his words were clear.

“You've almost gotta laugh. It's beyond disappointment,” Russell told Sky Sports F1. “Just so many times this season, it has happened. Yeah, it's a real shame.”

Russell later continued, admitting that his title hopes were all but over.

“I don't need to say I think it's [the title] gone or whatever, but of course it's exceptionally likely, and that's just the reality,” Russell added.

“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 had been on the other side [of the Mercedes garage], it would have been an 18-point gain. So yeah, it’s a real shame, but that’s just how it is.”