Toto Wolff has described himself as "not happy" after another Mercedes problem affected George Russell, this time in the Hungarian GP.
Russell started sixth in Budapest, but bogged down off the line after triggering anti-stall and dropped to 21st and last, with Sergio Perez having started from the pit-lane.
Russell then mounted a strong recovery drive, scything through the midfield to climb into the top 10, and take seventh place - the last finisher of the top four teams after Oscar Piastri's DNF, to score six points.
This, coupled with Kimi Antonelli hauling 15 for third place means Russell is now 59 points behind his team-mate, meaning the earliest Russell could overhaul is at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, with Antonelli having scored 40 points in the last two races, to Russell's six.
The issue with the start sequence was the latest in a catalogue of problems affecting Russell in 2026, including a DNF with engine failure in Canada, and the straight-line speed issues in Britiain and Belgium, and left Wolff not impressed.
"It seems another problem has happened to George," Wolff reflected to media, including RacingNews365.
"It looks like he gave it about 10% throttle, and the thing revved to the maximum, he went off throttle, and it bogged down.
"So I am really not happy about the mistakes that are happening, so that was the reason.
"After that, he drove very well; he went through the traffic easily, and then recovered the maximum points he could have recovered."
Get the latest F1 news from RacingNews365 directly in your Google feed! Click on the link below and you’ll see your favourite F1 website appearing even more often. That way, you’ll never miss any news, analyses, interviews, or exclusives.
Follow RacingNews365 on GoogleMost read
In this article
Never miss a thing from the Formula 1 season! Add the 2026 F1 schedule to your calendar at the touch of a button. Subscribe below and put the dates and times of every race directly on your PC or smartphone, so you don't miss a second from the new season.
Download the F1 calendar Download the F1 calendar
A variant with just the race and qualifying is also available.
Click here to download it..
Join the conversation!