Russell demands ’same car’ as Antonelli after Spa disaster
"I was slower than a Formula 2 car"
George Russell’s championship deficit to Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli has doubled to 50 points after another power unit problem contributed to his first-lap retirement at Spa.
Antonelli won the Belgian GP from pole, while Russell tangled with Lewis Hamilton - now P2 in the drivers’ standings ahead of Russell - after suddenly losing electrical power on the climb from Eau Rouge.
"On the straight uphill, my battery was completely dead," the furious Russell revealed.
"I was slower than a Formula 2 car."
He didn’t blame Hamilton for the impact, insisting: "I shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place."
"I had zero percent battery power when I arrived at the top of Eau Rouge. To be honest, that was just dangerous. I shouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place."
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff accepted responsibility.
"We had a software problem right at the start with all the Mercedes engines," he revealed. "Some were affected more than others. We need to get this under control.
"That’s 100 percent our fault."
Russell had already spent the Spa weekend complaining that his car was mysteriously slower than Antonelli’s, particularly on the straights - having had a similar complaint at Silverstone.
"What am I asking Mercedes for?" he said.
"I only want one thing: to have the same car as Kimi. I don’t need anything else. I just want the same car."
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, though, said operating the highly controversial power units in 2026 is difficult for every driver.
"Welcome to F1 2026," said Verstappen when discussing Russell’s problems. "Sometimes it can be a jungle."
Wolff, however, admitted Russell’s difficult weekend was not entirely technical. "It was probably 50 percent down to the power unit, which wasn’t as good as it should have been," he said. "And half of it was probably due to the driver’s work.
"George still needs to find a few tenths. He’s already made up a significant amount, but he’s still losing around two or two and a half tenths on a few corners.
"Overall, he’s improved a lot, but he’s still struggling to find a common language with the car."
Russell admitted he has become "a bit jaded" about his 2026 championship campaign so far. "When it happens so often, you get used to it," said the Briton.
Wolff reassured him that Mercedes is "giving it our all" on both sides of the garage.
"We have the most powerful power unit and a top car capable of winning," he said. "Everyone is doing everything they can to minimise mistakes. But they simply happen because humans are at work here."
Nevertheless, Wolff believes Antonelli has now moved clear of the rest of the field.
"The whole group is a little closer, but I see Kimi is a step ahead of everyone else," he told Sky Italia.
As for whether Russell is still Antonelli’s most likely championship rival, Wolff added: "I’d like it to be George, because it would mean there’s a Mercedes that’s winning, and he’s better than everyone else."