The Briton was running inside the top ꦗeight and apꦿpeared on course to score his first points for Williams in last weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix before an engine-related issue forced him into retirement.

It mark🐠ed the latest gut-wrenching moment for Russell in F1, who also missed out on points at Imola when he crꦿashed out with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas.

“It’s just typical isn’t it?” Russell said of his race-ending issue ahe⛎ad of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

“It doesn’t happen in the two years when we’re last in every race but the one time we’re truly in the points. We were on course for a good result, we were on the right strategy, the car wasꦰ feeling good, we were really fast on Friday - such a shame.

“But let’s see, th♈is is Formula 1, it’s never meant to be easy. It’s a brutal sport at 🎶times.”

Last season, Russellಞ crashed out under the Safety Car while running inside the points at Imola and narrowly missed out on the top-10 at Mꦐugello.

Russell then got the chance to sample👍 front-running machinery as he made his Mercedes debut at the Sakhir Grand Prix when Lewis Hamilton was ruled out with COVID-19. Russell came agonisingly close to claiming a dream maiden F1 win, only for a botched pit stop to cruelly end his hopes.

Asked about the mental toll of missing out on such a big result, Russell said๊: “Mentally, [it’s] very difficult.

“I think my first year I took it in my stride because I was just so excited to be in Formula 1 and learning so much, and obviously now into my first year 🐓I just feel ready to score some good result, and I feel the💖 team really deserve it with the progress they’ve been making.

“But mentally it’s not easy. We’re all winners, and all here to win, and it has been a bit of a rollercoaster this past year. Imola last year, Mugello last year, Bahrain obviously, and then I⛦mola again this year - it’s been a lot of difficult races to deal with.

“I feel fortunate becaus💟e hopefully in the future hav♓ing the chance to fight for victories and world championships, I’ve experienced a lot more disappointments than others, so it’ll make me mentally stronger and actually help me in the difficult moments in the future because for sure there will be some.”

Despite his Styrian 🏅GP disappointment, Russell is hopeful Williams can replicate its strong performance at the second race to be held at the R✤ed Bull Ring this weekend.

“I think we just have so much confidence at the moment that we’re doing a good job, especially on the S🎉aturday,” he explained.

“We’ve had some really strong performances, and that confidence comes into me, then goes into the team, ဣwe’re understa𒁃nding the car more and more, and it’s little things that make a big difference.

“There’s one tenth splitting five to eight cars or wha😼tever, on a track𒀰 as short as this, it’s about minimising those mistakes and if you do a good job you can jump quite far up the order.

“Last weekend it was bizarrely not windy at all, the weekend before it was tri🎶cky with the tyres, we were strong for other reasons. I truly hope this can carry on, but until we get back to a more normal circumstance, longer circuits, and maybe windier conditions, we wi🐠ll then see the new true performance of the car.

“But until then let’s try and make the most of it and try and score some ꦍpoints this weekend.”