George Russell remains upbeat that Mercedes have finally pinpointed and remedied the power‑unit glitches that plagued his car during the recent weekend at Spa‑Francorchamps, and that the team is now ready to tackle the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. The British driver had seen his championship hopes suffer a major setback after a first‑lap collision with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton forced him out of the race, leaving him 50 points adrift of title‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Russell believes that the premature retirement and the overall under‑performance compared to Antonelli were largely the result of recurring energy‑deployment problems with his engine. During the two‑day practice session at Spa, Russell experienced a noticeable loss of straight‑line speed on the long, fast sections of the circuit, an issue that reduced his lap times and highlighted a deficiency in the power unit’s output.
In addition, the start of the race was compromised by a separate fault that appeared to affect all Mercedes‑powered cars, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from the field behind. Despite these setbacks, Russell expressed confidence that the engineers have now dug deep enough to uncover the root cause and have implemented a fix before the team heads to Hungary for the final pre‑summer‑break race. "We’re pretty confident we’ve got a handle on the issues we faced at Spa and it should be straightforward to resolve them," Russell said in a post‑race interview.
"We hope we’ve sorted it out, so we’re feeling a lot more positive now." He added that the team’s intensive analysis of the Spa data gave them the clues they needed. "At first we weren’t sure what the problem was, but the team worked incredibly hard to dig deep.
Spa showed us where to look, and once you focus on the right area, it’s like pulling a needle out of a haystack – you finally see the fault. Fingers crossed the power‑unit problem is fixed; we’ll find out this weekend." When asked whether his driving style might have contributed to the loss of power, Russell dismissed that notion. "We think it was a software bug, not the way we were driving. The Belgian lap gave us the right pointers on where to look.
It’s been a tough couple of weeks, but we finally have a clear direction." Russell described his season as an "emotional rollercoaster," noting that he entered the year as the clear favourite for the world championship but has been hampered by inconsistent form and a series of reliability hiccups for Mercedes. The psychological strain, he admitted, has been the toughest he’s faced in his career.
"There have been many ups and downs, some things within my control that haven’t gone well and other factors outside my control that have held us back." Nevertheless, he emphasized his resilience. "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’m proud of my perseverance, and three days after Spa I feel positive and excited for the weekend ahead.
I’m looking at future prospects rather than past disappointments. Racing always offers a new opportunity around the corner." The upcoming race at the Hungaroring presents a different challenge. Unlike Spa or Silverstone, the Hungarian circuit is less dependent on outright power, favouring chassis balance and aerodynamic efficiency.
Russell, who previously secured two podiums and his maiden career pole at the Hungaroring in 2022, believes the venue could suit Mercedes if the engine issues are truly resolved. He reflected on his recent form, recalling the momentum he built after winning the Austrian Grand Prix three races ago and securing pole positions in Barcelona and Austria. "Monaco was a low point, but after Barcelona and Austria I felt a real surge of confidence.
Silverstone and Spa interrupted that, but I hope to continue the momentum from Austria," he said. Looking ahead, Russell expressed enthusiasm for the Budapest weekend.
"I like the circuit; it will be a challenging but rewarding race. It’s one of the least power‑sensitive tracks of the season, so Ferrari, with a stronger chassis, could be competitive.
Kimi is also performing exceptionally well every weekend, so it won’t be easy, but I’m excited." Despite Antonelli’s growing lead in the championship, Russell insisted that the title is still very much up for grabs. "We’re not even halfway through the season. Four races ago I was further behind, and now I’m much closer despite the Spa disappointment. I feel optimistic and ready to focus on driving fast." The schedule for the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend is packed with support series action, including F3 and F2 practice sessions, qualifying, and sprint races, all culminating in the main Formula 1 race on Sunday.
Sky Sports will broadcast every session live, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a long‑term contract. In summary, Russell’s message is clear: Mercedes believes they have identified the software glitch that hampered his power unit at Spa, the team has implemented a solution, and the British driver is eager to prove the fix on a circuit that places less emphasis on raw horsepower. With renewed confidence, a refreshed mindset, and a chance to capitalize on a track that rewards handling over outright speed, Russell aims to close the points gap to Antonelli and keep his championship aspirations alive as the season heads into its summer intermission.