Russell Finds 'Huge' Relief After Mercedes Identifies Power Unit Issue

George Russell says a "huge load" has been lifted from his mind after Mercedes traced his recent straight-line speed struggles to a power unit issue rather than his driving style. The discovery, made ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, ended weeks of self-doubt that had forced him to fundamentally rethink his technique across the British and Belgian rounds.

Why it matters:

When performance suddenly drops in Formula 1, drivers almost always look inward first. Russell's experience shows how easily misleading data can send a driver chasing ghosts, wasting precious track time on technique changes that never address the real problem. For a team like Mercedes trying to claw back ground, eliminating these hidden gremlins is just as important as finding raw pace.

The details:

• Russell suffered straight-line speed deficits across the British and Belgian Grands Prix, with early analysis pointing to his throttle application and gear selection.
• He spent Silverstone and much of the Spa weekend redesigning his approach—experimenting with how aggressively he picked up the throttle and when he shifted—only to learn the data had steered him wrong.
• Mercedes engineers confirmed ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix that a power unit issue was the true culprit, meaning none of his driving adjustments could have fixed the underlying deficit.
• The timing is critical as the season resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix, with Russell sitting 59 points behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the drivers' standings.

What's next:

Russell arrives at Zandvoort intent on returning to first principles. He maintains that keeping his approach simple is when he drives best, though he acknowledges that is far easier said than done in a sport as complex as Formula 1. Now that the power unit question is settled, the focus shifts to closing the 59-point gap to Antonelli and steadying his campaign.