Russell sidelined by engine: Mercedes forced to change power unit
George Russell‘s crisis continues in Hungary. The British driver finished the GP Qualifiers in seventh place, with only Isack Hadjar behind him among the drivers of the four top teams, before being forced to retire due to a technical problem with the Mercedes power unit.
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Just after crossing the Q3 checkered flag, the engine betrayed Russell due to a hydraulic leak. For number 63, this is no minor inconvenience: Mercedes will in fact be forced to introduce its fourth power unit of the season already. Finishing the championship with three engines now seems practically impossible, and this means that, sooner or later, the Briton will have to serve a ten-place grid penalty, just like his teammate Kimi Antonelli.
Wolff’s words on Russell’s problem
“There was a hydraulic leak and the engine is broken. The power unit, unfortunately, is no longer usable,” was the telegraphic comment from Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff to Sky Sport F1.
Mercedes’ day was also complicated on the other side of the garage. Antonelli was in fact hampered in his second time attack by Max Verstappen’s spin and ended up under investigation for not respecting the yellow flag rules. Wolff, however, does not fear consequences: “Kimi lifted normally, we hope everything will be fine. Without that incident, he would certainly have been in third place.”
Beyond the problem suffered by Russell, the Mercedes seen today seemed a step backward compared to what was admired for much of the season. For the first time, the W17 did not secure pole position and also missed out on the front row. However, looking ahead to the race, the Brackley team can cling to the excellent pace shown by Antonelli, who seems to have the potential to contend for victory alongside the McLarens and Ferraris.
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