George Russell expresses disappointment after Belgian Grand Prix incident

By Charlotte Reid — 21 July 2026 — 3 min read

George Russell has described himself as “numb to the disappointment” following the Belgian Grand Prix, where a first-lap collision with Lewis Hamilton led to his retirement. The incident occurred at Spa-Francorchamps, further impacting Russell’s championship aspirations. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, secured a victory at the event, extending his lead over Russell in the world championship standings.

Russell attributed the collision to a lack of power from his car, stating that he would not have been alongside Hamilton if his Mercedes had not failed to deploy sufficient electrical energy. He noted that the battery did not recharge at Turn One, leading to a significant reduction in electrical energy and a boost problem with the turbo. This left him with no power and made his position on track dangerous, as he was overtaken by multiple cars.

Team acknowledges power unit issues

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes principal, acknowledged that the team was responsible for the power unit issues affecting Russell’s car. Wolff stated that there was a problem with all Mercedes engines, resulting in a lack of power on the straights. He affirmed the team’s full support for Russell, recognising that while some of the weekend’s difficulties could be attributed to driving, the power unit’s performance was a significant factor.

Wolff explained that a specific engine issue was identified over the weekend, which meant Russell had less energy to deploy. He also noted that all Mercedes engines experienced a lack of energy out of Turn One during the race, affecting Antonelli to a lesser extent. The team principal expressed understanding for Russell’s emotional reaction to being out of the race and committed to helping him regain optimism before the next event.

The incident with Hamilton was deemed a racing incident by Russell, who felt Hamilton did not act recklessly. However, Russell’s primary frustration stemmed from being in a compromised position due to his car’s performance. He had made a strong start and was positioned well to challenge other drivers before the power issues arose.

Ongoing technical challenges

Russell’s recent experience at the Belgian Grand Prix is part of a series of issues he has encountered this season. These include technical problems during qualifying in China, a safety car incident in Japan that altered the race outcome, a retirement while leading in Canada, and unresolved penalties in Monaco. Russell had previously suggested that the issues between his car and Antonelli’s had largely equalised after the British Grand Prix, making the latest setback particularly frustrating.

The power unit issues at Spa-Francorchamps were distinct from other problems experienced earlier in the weekend. During Friday practice, Russell was reportedly slower than Antonelli, with the team initially attributing the deficit to driving style. However, an unexplained engine power anomaly persisted into qualifying, and a similar phenomenon was observed with Oscar Piastri at McLaren, which also uses Mercedes engines.

Antonelli, despite winning the race, also experienced the battery deployment issue on the first lap. He described the start as “crazy” due to the fluctuating power and the close proximity of other cars. He acknowledged the complexity of this season’s engines, with their near 50/50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, and the inherent energy starvation issues that can arise.

Wolff indicated that the team would work to resolve the identified engine issues ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the final race before the Formula 1 summer break. Antonelli expressed confidence that the issues affecting Russell’s car would be fixed for the upcoming race in Budapest.

Source: theguardian.com