George Russell 'numb' after 'frankly dangerous' Mercedes problem in Belgium

George Russell says he is "numb to the disappointment" of retiring from the Belgian GP after a "frankly dangerous" issue before his crash with Lewis Hamilton. 

After navigating Turn 1 on the opening lap, Russell was poised to strike against leading pair Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen, but through Eau Rouge and up Raidillon, he was swamped by the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Hamilton. 

Approaching Turn 5, Russell moved to the outside to sweep into the right of Les Combes, but Hamilton, on the inside, collected the Mercedes, spitting it into the gravel and retirement after becoming beached. 

For this, Hamilton received a five-second time penalty, for Russell's title hopes took a huge blow as Antonelli won the race to open up a 50-point lead over the Briton, with Hamilton even leapfrogging his former team-mate into second, five points ahead. 

All weekend at Spa, Russell had suffered from a lack of straight-line speed owing to power unit deployment issues, as he described the "frankly dangerous" events which left him with "0% on the battery" heading up Eau Rouge and Raidillon.

"I made a good start, had a great first corner and was hooked up right behind Verstappen," Russell reflected to media, including RacingNews365. 

"But for whatever reason, the battery decided not to recharge at Turn 1, so I went around the first corner, and the battery didn't charge, and I exited the first corner 35% down, and I also had a boost problem.

"The turbo did not sort itself out, so I had no power. I got to the top of Eau Rouge with 0% on the battery, and quite frankly, it was dangerous. I got swamped by three cars and should not have been in that position in the first place. 

"That is why I am most angry. I am numb to the disappointment now, so when it happens so often, you just get used to it."