George Russell has voiced his frustration after an engine issue led to a disastrous start at the Hungarian Grand Prix, stating he has never experienced a season plagued by so much misfortune. Russell began the race in sixth place but his car went into anti-stall, causing him to lose significant ground. Despite quickly recovering to finish seventh, he lost further ground in the title race.
Russell emphasized that the entire team is equally frustrated, saying, 'The problems are happening, but the whole team feels it as well. They're as frustrated as I am with how it's unfolded.' He acknowledged the need for the team to assess their contribution to these errors, citing the gearbox issue faced by Oscar Piastri.
Russell expressed hope that his luck would improve, stating, 'I don't wish any bad luck on anyone. But I've never had a season like this in my whole career, let alone my F1 career.' Russell explained that his terrible start was due to the engine revving highly before the lights went out, despite him barely being on the throttle pedal. Both Mercedes drivers have suffered from unreliability issues, but Russell has been more recently affected.
He suffered a battery failure at the Canadian Grand Prix, was incorrectly penalized for speeding in Monaco, and claims to have been at a disadvantage in terms of straight-line speed compared to his teammate. Russell admitted that while there are things within his control that he needs to improve, there are also many factors beyond his control.
He said, 'I'm sort of past the point of disappointment now... I've got to stay positive.' Russell found solace in his strong pace during the race, with the team indicating that he was as strong as anybody on the track. However, he was forced to change his power unit ahead of the race due to an engine crack in qualifying, which may result in a grid penalty later in the season. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed hope that they can avoid taking an engine penalty, saying, 'We need to decide when that is, when we need to take one and which tracks.' The Formula 1 season resumes after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23.