George Russell has openly admitted that he has never endured a campaign as plagued by misfortune as the one he is currently living through, a sentiment he voiced after an engine malfunction turned his Hungarian Grand Prix start into a disaster. The British driver began the race from sixth on the grid, a slot that placed him just ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli, but an unexpected anti‑stall activation forced his car to crawl off the line, sending him tumbling to the back of the field before the first corner. Despite the chaotic launch, Russell demonstrated his usual race‑craft by charging through the midfield and ultimately crossing the line in seventh place.
However, the result only widened the gap to the championship leader, Antonelli, who now enjoys a 50‑point cushion over Lewis Hamilton and sits 59 points ahead of Russell in the drivers’ standings. "The problems are obviously happening, and the whole team feels it," Russell said, using strong language to describe his frustration.
"Everyone is as fed up as I am with how this has unfolded." He went on to stress the importance of introspection within the team, noting that they must ensure they are not inadvertently contributing to the spate of failures. "Oscar [Piastri] also had a gearbox issue, so we’re not alone, but it certainly feels like these setbacks are hitting us more often than anyone else," Russell added. He expressed hope that fortunes would turn around, adding, "I don’t wish any bad luck on anyone, but I’ve never experienced a season like this in my entire career, let alone in Formula 1." Russell explained that, moments before the lights went out, his foot was barely on the throttle when the engine began to rev erratically, soaring to very high RPMs and then dropping suddenly. This erratic behavior produced the "terrible start" that left him stranded at the back.
"I was on the throttle waiting, then all of a sudden the engine was going all over the place, revving really high and really low," he told Sky Sports F1. "Add it to the list of things that have happened in the first half of this year and pray things calm down in the second half." Both Mercedes drivers have been hit by reliability woes this season, but Russell has found himself on the unlucky side more often recently. He endured a battery failure while duelling with Antonelli for the lead at the Canadian Grand Prix, was mistakenly penalised for speeding in Monaco along with four other drivers, and has complained about a deficit in straight‑line speed compared to Antonelli.
These issues culminated in a race‑ending collision at the Belgian Grand Prix earlier in the month. While he acknowledges that there are "things in my control I need to do better," Russell also stresses that many factors lie beyond his influence.
"I'm sort of past the point of disappointment now, because if I keep feeling disappointed about everything that happens, I’ll be disappointed every single day," he said. "So I have to stay positive." He highlighted that his pace remained strong, noting the team's feedback that his performance was on par with anyone on the grid—a level he hadn’t reached for about three races. "The pace was very strong.
The team said I was as strong as anybody out there, which I haven't been for probably three races, so I will take positives there," Russell remarked. "But yes, it's just unbelievable the list of things that's happened this season." Adding to his woes, Russell was forced to replace his power unit before the Hungarian race after a crack was discovered in the engine during qualifying. This change could force him to serve a grid penalty later in the year, a scenario the team hopes to avoid.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff commented, "In terms of engine penalties, I still very much hope we don't need to take it. We need to decide when that is, when we need to take one and which tracks." Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar will resume after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21‑23.
All sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, and fans can stream the coverage via NOW without a contract, with the option to cancel at any time. Russell and the Mercedes squad will be eager to put the recent setbacks behind them and aim for a more consistent performance in the second half of the season, hoping that the string of bad luck finally comes to an end.