George Russell believes that a technical failure of his Mercedes caused his retirement as early as the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix. The Briton talks about a “frankly dangerous” situation.
Read more Lewis Hamilton feared the worst after hitting a Ferrari mechanic
George Russell no longer hides his frustration. Forced to retire as early as the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix after a collision with Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes driver believes the real problem appeared well before the contact with the Ferrari.
According to the Briton, a failure of the hybrid system completely deprived his car of power in one of the fastest sections of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, leaving him particularly vulnerable against his rivals.
“I had no more power”
Russell had nevertheless made an excellent start. After negotiating the first corner in the wake of Max Verstappen, he hoped to be able to join the fight for the top positions.
But everything changed as soon as he exited the first corner.
“I had a good start and an excellent first corner. I was perfectly placed behind Verstappen” explained Russell.
The Mercedes driver reveals that a battery charging problem immediately appeared.
“For some reason, the battery did not charge at the first corner. I came out of it with already 35% less charge, then I also had a turbo problem.”
According to him, the engine never regained full power.
“The turbo never reset. I had no more power. Arriving at the top of the Raidillon, my battery was at 0 %.”
A situation deemed “frankly dangerous”
Deprived of speed on the Eau Rouge and Raidillon climb, Russell was overtaken by several cars, including the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Read more George Russell explodes against Mercedes after his retirement at Spa
A few moments later, approaching the Combes, Hamilton made contact with the Mercedes, sending Russell into the gravel trap and causing his retirement.
Although Hamilton received a five-second penalty for this collision, Russell believes the root of the problem lies elsewhere.
“Honestly, it was dangerous. I was overtaken by three cars and I should never have found myself in this situation.”
“I am numb with disappointment”
This new retirement seriously complicates Russell’s ambitions in the fight for the world title.
While he was leaving the race on the first lap, his teammate Kimi Antonelli won the Grand Prix and extended his lead to 50 points in the championship. Lewis Hamilton, fourth at the finish, also took advantage to overtake Russell in the overall standings.
Faced with this new disappointment, the Briton admits that hard blows are starting to pile up.
“That’s why I’m the angriest. Today, I am numb with disappointment. When these kinds of things happen so often, you almost get used to it.”
After a weekend already marked by a lack of top speed linked to difficulties in deploying the power unit, Russell leaves Spa with a retirement, a considerably increased delay in the championship and many questions about the reliability of his Mercedes.
Read more Kimi Antonelli admits it: the Belgian GP scenario was a «stroke of luck» in the title race