George Russell seethes at Mercedes in unheard radio from Belgian Grand Prix retirement

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George Russell immediately lamented a battery issue after retiring on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell became beached in the gravel at Les Combes after contact with Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver received a controversial five-second penalty for the incident.

After gaining 43 points on Kimi Antonelli in three weekends, Russell lost 25 to his victorious teammate and surrendered second place to Hamilton.

George Russell’s explicit radio message after Spa DNF

Rather than criticising Hamilton, his former Mercedes colleague, Russell demanded answers from Mercedes over a power unit problem. This mirrored his reaction in the media pen, where he called the contact a racing incident and said he should never have been alongside the Ferrari in the first place.

Team principal Toto Wolff confirmed after the race that all Mercedes-powered cars were down on electrical power at the start. Antonelli lost the lead to Max Verstappen on the run to Eau Rouge but was able to regain it before the chicane.

“I’m out!” Russell exclaimed in the unbroadcast message. “What the f— happened with the SOC [state of charge] down the straight? I had no f—— battery down the straight!”

Is George Russell fighting with one hand behind his back, or is Kimi Antonelli just too good?

Antonelli extends his lead in the standings to 44 points after Spa!

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Russell was losing out to Antonelli on the straights in qualifying, which he felt put him in an ‘impossible’ position. Mercedes couldn’t explain the deficit and are in the process of an investigation.

It was initially thought that Antonelli’s driving style was simply extracting more performance from the engine, but now the team are questioning that theory.

• READ MORE: George Russell statement after Belgian GP gives Toto Wolff no choice but to favour Kimi Antonelli

Russell previously retired from the lead of the Canadian GP after an electrical failure. Antonelli has also failed to score twice due to car problems.

Under the current points system, no driver has come back from a deficit larger than 46. The gap between the two Mercedes is now 50 as the halfway point of the season approaches.