George Russell remains upbeat that Mercedes have finally pinpointed and remedied the power‑unit glitches that plagued his car during the recent Belgian Grand Prix weekend, and he is looking forward to putting the problems behind him at the upcoming race in Budapest. At Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, Russell fell 50 points behind his title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli after a first‑lap incident that saw him forced out of the race following contact with Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. The British driver believes that the collision and his overall under‑performance were heavily influenced by a series of energy‑deployment faults in his engine rather than pure driver error. During the two practice sessions on Saturday, Russell experienced a noticeable loss of straight‑line speed on the long Spa straight, a symptom that hinted at a deeper issue with the power unit.
In addition, the start of the race was compromised by a separate fault that affected all Mercedes‑powered cars, leaving them vulnerable to the cars behind them and contributing to the chaotic opening lap. Despite these setbacks, Russell expressed confidence that the team have now gotten to the root of the problem and, crucially, have implemented a fix before the final pre‑summer race in Hungary. "We’re pretty confident we’ve got on top of the issues we had in Spa and it should be easy to resolve," he told reporters. "We hope and we think we have got on top of it, so feeling more positive." He added that the Spa weekend gave the engineers vital clues about where to focus their investigations.
"At the time we weren’t sure what it was, but the team worked incredibly hard to dig deep. Spa gave us the right pointers – it’s like pulling a needle out of a haystack.
Once you know where to look, the problem becomes visible, and I think we have found it. Fingers crossed it’s resolved, but we’ll find out this weekend." When asked whether his driving style had contributed to the power loss, Russell dismissed that notion, suggesting the fault was more likely a software bug. "It wasn’t the way I was driving that caused the loss of power, so that’s at least one thing ruled out," he said. "I think Spa gave us the right pointers of where to look for the problem.
It’s like getting a needle out of a haystack – once you know where to look, you can find it, and thankfully I think we have." Russell described his season as an "emotional rollercoaster". He entered the year as the clear favourite for the world championship, but a combination of inconsistent form and a string of reliability issues for Mercedes has turned the campaign into a series of highs and lows. The 28‑year‑old admitted that the psychological strain has been the toughest he has ever faced on the track. "It’s probably fair to say it’s the toughest battle psychologically I’ve had because there have been so many ups and downs, combined with things in my control that haven’t been great and also things outside my control that have hampered progress," he reflected.
"But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – I feel proud of my resilience. Three days after Spa I feel positive and excited for the weekend, looking at future prospects rather than past disappointment.
That’s the beauty of racing – there’s always an opportunity around the corner." The next opportunity arrives at the Hungaroring, a circuit where Russell has previously enjoyed success, including two podium finishes and his maiden career pole position in 2022. Unlike Spa or Silverstone, the Hungarian track is less dependent on outright engine power, which could play to Mercedes’ advantage if the power‑unit issues are indeed resolved.
Russell hopes to recapture the momentum he built after his Austrian Grand Prix victory three races ago. "I felt some good momentum coming out of Austria and Barcelona, especially after Monaco," he said.
"Monaco was a very low point for me, but coming back in Barcelona, getting pole, a P2 in the race, then pole and a win in Austria – I felt a real good momentum building, which was halted in Silverstone and Spa. I hope I can continue from where we were in Austria." He added that he enjoys the Budapest circuit and expects a challenging weekend. "We know it’s one of the least power‑sensitive circuits of the season. Ferrari are close behind with a chassis that currently outperforms their power unit, so they’ll be competitive here.
Of course, Kimi is performing super well every race weekend, so it won’t be straightforward, but I’m excited for it," Russell said. Despite Antonelli’s growing lead in the championship, Russell insisted the title fight for 2026 is far from over.
"For sure I can still win it," he affirmed. "We’re not even halfway through the season.
Four races ago I was a lot more points behind, even with the Spa disappointments. I’m feeling a lot more positive, excited for the weekend ahead, and I hope I can just focus on driving fast." The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend schedule is packed with action, beginning with F3 and F2 practice sessions on Friday, followed by sprint races and qualifying sessions on Saturday, and culminating in the main Formula 1 race on Sunday. All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW for viewers who prefer an online option. As the teams prepare for the Budapest showdown, Russell’s optimism and the promise of a resolved power‑unit issue could provide the catalyst Mercedes needs to return to the front of the pack and keep the championship battle alive.