George Russell has described the Malaysian Grand Prix as a "faff" after a series of abnormalities occurred on Sunday.
The race start was delayed by over 40 minutes due to a heavy downpour, and after the cars got going, several came to a halt on the track during the formation lap due to a software bug in the power unit.
It resulted in an even longer delay, with the race finally getting underway over 90 minutes after its original scheduled start time.
Russell looked on course for another podium finish when a power unit issue hit his car, forcing him to retire from the race.
When asked if his failure was related to temperatures behind the safety car, Russell told media including RacingNews365: "No, I don't think so. I mean, we don't know.
"There was just a sudden failure."
Russell now sits 84 points behind Antonelli in the standings, with the latter crossing the line in second place.
Russell's retirement came under a safety car period, which was prolonged as race control allowed Sergio Perez to overtake the pack to unlap himself before waiting for him to line up at the back of the field, resulting in more laps behind the safety car.
It was a decision that did not impress Russell.
"The whole day felt like a bit of a faff with the delay, the red flag, the endless laps under the safety car," he said.
"Suddenly you're doing extra laps to allow Checo to overtake... it just didn't feel very F1.
"I would have been a bit disappointed, if I was in the stands watching that unfold, that wasn't good.
"From my side, just a bit frustrating."
Most read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..












Join the conversation!