The Mercedes driver benefited from a chaotic ending to the British Grand Prix on Sunday (05.07.26) to claim second place at Silverstone and close the gap on team-mate Kimi Antonelli (who finished outside the points after a car problem) in the championship, although he was unhappy with his performance level at his home race.

Russell, who is 25 points behind Antonelli in the championship, said: "It is important just to keep on fighting but the truth is, there's been a lot of things this weekend we don't really understand.

"Straight line speed issues yesterday and on Friday, I think it was better today but the performance wasn't good enough and if I'm being brutally honest, I'm not going to fight for a championship if the performances continue like that.

"I'm not coming away from this weekend satisfied. I'll take the result, but I would have been more satisfied leaving Canada when I broke down from the lead than I am today standing P2.

"Just because I probably deserved the win in Canada, and today I didn't deserve to stand where I stood."

Russell had dropped down the order after suffering a slow puncture during the race but was grateful to get onto the podium after getting ahead of Lewis Hamilton during a safety car caused by Max Verstappen spinning out of the race in the closing laps.

The British racer said: "After the slow puncture and pitting, then going down to P7, if you told me I was going to come home in second, I would have been like, 'There's no way.'

"I wouldn't have been able to comprehend how those events would have unfolded. I think P3 was probably a deserved result behind Kimi and Charles (Leclerc).

"Obviously I was ahead of Lewis, I was fighting with Max. Max is a tough competitor, I think I would have passed him at one point. Then standing here P2."