Eliminated from the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix after contact with Lewis Hamilton, George Russell believes his main problem came from an energy failure that left him defenseless on the Kemmel straight.
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The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix quickly turned into a nightmare for George Russell. While he held third position on the starting grid, the Mercedes driver did not see the checkered flag, falling victim to a collision with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap at Spa-Francorchamps.
The contact occurred in the Les Combes chicane, at the end of the long Kemmel straight. After being overtaken by both Ferrari and Oscar Piastri in the fast section of the circuit, Russell was trying to regain his position against his former teammate.
The two cars found themselves side-by-side under braking, before a slight deviation in trajectory caused contact between Hamilton’s Ferrari and Russell’s Mercedes. The W17 was then sent into the gravel trap, immediately ending the Briton’s race.
After analysis, the stewards deemed Lewis Hamilton responsible for the incident and handed him a five-second penalty.
Russell considers the collision a simple racing incident
Despite the stewards’ decision, Russell did not particularly blame his former teammate. For him, this incident was mainly the consequence of a situation that could have been avoided.
“I simply got swallowed up on the straight. I lost three positions before Turn 5, and that collision was a racing incident,” Russell explained.
The Mercedes driver believes he might have been able to defend his position better, but he mainly points to the lack of performance of his car in the long fast sections of Spa.
“I might have been able to take a different line, or he might have been able to brake a little more. But this incident would never have happened if I had had the necessary speed on the straight,” he added.
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An energy failure that complicated his start
If Russell was particularly frustrated after his retirement, it wasn’t solely because of his duel with Hamilton. The Briton revealed that a battery management issue had put him in a very delicate situation from the very first corners.
According to him, his Mercedes did not properly recover energy after the first corner, which deprived him of a significant part of his electrical power on the climb up Raidillon.
“I had a good start. I was right behind Max Verstappen, but for some reason, the battery decided not to recharge in Turn 1,” Russell recounted.
The consequence was immediate: upon reaching the top of Raidillon, the Mercedes driver had an almost empty battery and could no longer properly defend his position.
“I came out of the first corner with only 35% battery and didn’t recover any energy. The boost was no longer available, and I reached the top of Raidillon with 0% battery. Frankly, it was dangerous,” he explained.
Another blow in a complicated season
Russell believes this technical problem is the real reason for his anger. Without this loss of power, he thinks he could have avoided finding himself in the middle of traffic and maintained a better position.
“I was overtaken by three cars. I should never have found myself in that situation. That’s why I’m mostly angry,” he declared.
While his teammate Kimi Antonelli continues to play a leading role in the championship, Russell is having a much more difficult season than expected. This new retirement represents another setback in a campaign already marked by several performance and reliability issues.
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