George Russell entered the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with a renewed sense of optimism, convinced that Mercedes had finally pinpointed and rectified the power‑unit glitches that plagued his car in Belgium. The British driver had suffered a severe setback at Spa‑Francorchamps, falling 50 points behind his title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli after a first‑lap collision with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton forced him out of the race. Russell believes that the disappointing finish, and the broader difficulties he faced compared with Antonelli’s strong form, were largely the result of recurring energy‑deployment issues with his engine. During the two‑day practice session at Spa, Russell experienced a noticeable loss of straight‑line speed on the long lap, a symptom that hinted at a deeper problem within 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 and contributing to the incident that ended his race prematurely. Now, as the Formula One calendar moves toward the pre‑summer break race in Budapest, Russell says the team has worked tirelessly to "dig deep" and isolate the root cause. "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." Russell explained that the team’s investigative process was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. The data gathered at Spa gave engineers the clues they needed, allowing them to focus their efforts on the most likely culprits. He suspects the fault was a software bug rather than a problem caused by his driving style.
"It wasn’t the driving style that was contributing to the loss of power, so that’s something at least," he said. "Spa gave us the right pointers of where to look for the problem." The British driver described his season as an "emotional rollercoaster".
He began the year as the clear favourite for the championship, but a combination of inconsistent form and a string of Mercedes reliability setbacks has turned the campaign into a psychological battle. "It’s probably fair to say it is the toughest battle psychologically I’ve had," Russell admitted. "There have been many ups and downs, things in my control that haven’t been great and things outside my control that have hampered progress." Nevertheless, Russell emphasised his resilience. "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger," he said, adding that he feels proud of his ability to bounce back.
Three days after the Spa disappointment, he expressed excitement for the upcoming weekend and a focus on future prospects rather than past disappointments. "I guess that’s the good thing with racing – you often have an opportunity just round the corner." The Hungaroring offers a different challenge.
Unlike the power‑heavy circuits of Silverstone and Spa, the Budapest track is less dependent on outright engine performance, which could play to Russell’s advantage if the power‑unit issue has indeed been solved. He recalled his past success at the venue, noting his two podium finishes and his maiden pole position in 2022. "I’m just looking forward to coming into Budapest. It’s a circuit I like and it’s going to be a real challenging weekend," he said.
Russell also highlighted the competitive landscape. Ferrari currently possesses a chassis that, combined with a reliable engine, makes them a strong contender on a circuit where power is less decisive. "We know it’s one of the least power‑sensitive circuits of the season.
We’ve got Ferrari close behind. They have a better chassis than power unit at the moment," he observed. "Of course, Kimi’s performing super well every single race weekend, so it’s not going to be a straightforward weekend, but I’m excited for it." Despite Antonelli’s growing lead in the championship, Russell insists the title fight is far from over. "For sure I can still win it," he asserted.
"We’re not even halfway through yet. It’s just been so up and down this whole season.
Four races ago I was a lot more points behind in the championship than I am right now even with the disappointments of Spa. So I am feeling a lot more positive, excited for the weekend ahead and hopefully now I can just focus on driving quick." Looking back at his recent form, Russell feels momentum building after a strong showing in Austria, where he claimed his first victory of the season, and a pole position in Barcelona. "Monaco was a very low point for me in my season, but coming back in Barcelona, getting the pole, the P2 in the race, then the pole in Austria and the win – 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 explained. The schedule for the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend is packed with action across the support categories, starting 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 without a contract.
Russell’s confidence, the team’s technical progress, and the relatively forgiving nature of the Hungaroring together set the stage for a potentially pivotal weekend that could reshape the championship narrative as the sport heads into its summer hiatus.