Wolff Clears Russell of Blame for Hungary Start Failure After P7 Recovery

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has cleared George Russell of blame for the disastrous Hungarian Grand Prix start that dropped him from sixth to 20th at the first corner. Wolff confirmed the issue stemmed from a malfunction with the new engine introduced this weekend, not driver error, after anti-stall kicked in and the throttle stopped responding seconds before the lights went out. Russell recovered strongly at the notoriously difficult Hungaroring to finish seventh.

Why it matters:

The failure cost Russell a likely strong points finish, and Mercedes' public backing prevents unnecessary internal friction during a tight 2026 campaign. Reliability issues with its new power unit remain a concern that could undermine the team's progress if they persist.

The details:

• Russell followed standard starting procedures and final burn-outs approaching the grid before the gremlin struck.
• With four seconds to go, the engine began revving erratically. Russell said the throttle stopped responding entirely to his inputs.
• Wolff explained Russell applied roughly 10% throttle, the engine revved to maximum, and when he lifted, it bogged down into anti-stall.
• The team also noted the clutch was "2% shallow," pointing to a calibration or software issue rather than driver mistake.
• From 20th, Russell surged through the field, passing Bottas, Sainz, Alonso and others to reach the points by lap 17 and eventually claim seventh.

What's next:

Mercedes must urgently diagnose the throttle-mapping bug before the next race to avoid another costly failure. Russell's charge proved the car has genuine pace, but the team cannot afford to keep sacrificing grid positions to preventable technical issues.