George Russell fine 'money well spent' after Canadian GP outburst

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle has described George Russell’s suspended fine at the Canadian Grand Prix as “money well spent.”

Russell retired from the race after suffering a terminal power unit failure while leading ahead of team-mate and title rival Kimi Antonelli during an intense on-track battle.

The Mercedes pair went wheel-to-wheel on several occasions, narrowly avoiding contact as they fought for position.

Praising the battle, Brundle wrote in his Sky F1 column: “There's nothing to choose between Russell and Antonelli at the moment.

Experience and wisdom seems to match unbridled speed and enthusiasm perfectly, and that's why they keep meeting in the middle of a corner.

“They constantly seemed to be side by side especially when either driver ran a touch deep on the brakes into the Turn 10 hairpin.”

However, the battle was cut short when Russell’s engine failed. Frustrated by the retirement, he threw his headrest from the car, which landed on the track and immediately drew the attention of the F1 stewards.

Russell was summoned after the race, where he explained the incident and admitted he felt a sense of “embarrassment” over his actions.

The stewards issued a €5,000 fine, suspended for 12 months. However, Brundle suggested Russell’s outburst was worth the punishment.

“In his despair he threw his headrest down the road and out front of the car, for which he would be fined €5,000 suspended for 12 months,” Brundle added.

“Money well spent as far as I'm concerned as a way to process the extreme adrenaline flow and disappointment. Been there, done that.”