Toto Wolff expressed all his frustration after the new technical issue that ruined George Russell’s race right from the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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George Russell’s Hungarian Grand Prix turned into a nightmare as soon as the lights went out.
Starting sixth on the grid, the Mercedes driver saw his car switch to anti-stall mode at the start. Stopped for a few moments, he immediately dropped to the last place in the pack, behind Sergio Pérez, who had started from the pit lane.
Forced into a long comeback, the Briton eventually managed to limit the damage by finishing seventh, securing the last points among the top four teams after Oscar Piastri’s retirement.
Toto Wolff points out Mercedes’ mistakes
After the race, Toto Wolff did not hide his annoyance at this new incident, which adds to a series of problems Russell has faced since the start of the season.
The Mercedes director explained what happened at the start.
“It seems that a new problem occurred on George’s car. It looks like he applied about 10% throttle, then the engine immediately revved up. He released the throttle and the car went into anti-stall mode.”
Wolff believes that this kind of mistake is simply unacceptable.
“I am really not satisfied with the mistakes that keep happening. This is what caused this problem.”
A decidedly complicated season
This new incident adds to the list of setbacks for George Russell in 2026.
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The British driver has already suffered several blows of fate, including a retirement due to engine failure in Canada, as well as top speed issues during the British and Belgian Grands Prix.
In Hungary, this misadventure cost him more points against his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who finished third in Budapest.
The championship leader now has 59 points lead over Russell at the start of the summer break.
A comeback praised by his boss
Despite his anger, Toto Wolff wanted to highlight the quality of Russell’s race after his poor start.
The Briton quickly climbed through the pack before crossing the finish line in seventh position, limiting the damage as much as possible.
“Afterwards, he drove very well. He easily made his way through traffic and recovered the maximum points he could get.”
While Mercedes can be satisfied with Kimi Antonelli’s third place, this new technical problem reminds that reliability and execution remain areas to improve to allow Russell to fully regain his place in the fight for the championship.
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