Mercedes driver George Russell described the software calibration problem that had been hampering him for the past two race weekends, adding that he expects the issue will be resolved for the 2026 Hungarian GP.
After a miserable race at the Belgian GP, Russell arrived in Budapest encouraged by the work carried out by Mercedes to address the problem ahead of the final race before F1 goes on its annual summer break.
Russell endured a frustrating weekend at Spa, where an underlying calibration issue affected the deployment of his power unit and robbed him of straight-line performance. The problem proved costly, contributing to an opening-lap incident with Lewis Hamilton, which saw Russell retire from the race with his beached in a gravel trap.
Speaking to media on Thursday ahead of the Hungarian GP, Russell insisted the team has identified and worked to resolve the issue that had been plaguing him.
“Yeah, I’m feeling good now,” Russell said.
“Three days after Spa, I think we’ve uncovered some of the issues that were holding us back during the weekend in Spa, and that is, you know, refreshing to hear and to see the hard work that has gone on back at the factory to get to the bottom of it.”
Russell backs Mercedes despite Spa frustration
An unaired radio message from Russell in the wake of the DNF, where he used strong language to slam the situation as “unacceptable” later surfaced online.
The Mercedes driver clarified that he viewed the setback as a collective problem, and avoided pinning blame on the team.
“I mean, at the end of the day, we’re in this together and, you know, between us, we know that what happened in Spa—and we saw signs of it in Silverstone—is not to the standard that we want collectively,” he said.
“That’s not just me towards the team. We are in this together.
“Of course, when you’ve just been punted out of the race and you’re sat in the gravel trap on lap one, your emotions are pretty high and especially with the events that led up to turn five.”
Russell continued: “But, you know, it’s never been through a lack of effort of trying to get to the bottom of what we thought was an issue. We were struggling to see the signs of where it was coming from, but Spa really gave us a great opportunity, where to look for the problem.
“And then when the team looked in this area, they uncovered the problem, which was great to see. But these cars, these power units are so complex. You can’t check every single tiny parameter because there’s just so many of them.”
Issue may have started at Silverstone, worsened at Spa
Russell explained that Mercedes still could not pinpoint exactly when the issue first appeared, although the team had seen inconsistent signs during the British GP weekend before the problem became much more obvious at Spa.
“Honestly, we’re not 100% sure of exactly what was what,” he said.
“There were examples in Silverstone where we were struggling. Then there were examples also in Silverstone where it was fine. We can’t be sure. The sprint qualifying in Silverstone was really bad, but then were examples… in the main qualifying it looked okay.
“But for sure Spa was worse. That is the most power-sensitive circuit of the season. So that is to be expected. But for me, this is now history; it’s behind me now.”
Russell reveals Mercedes worked to resolve calibration problem before 2026 Hungarian GP
Mercedes has since traced the issue to software calibration rather than a hardware fault, allowing the team to recalibrate the relevant parameters for the Hungarian GP weekend.
Russell attempted to explain the software issue in layman’s terms, saying: “Effectively, there were numbers on the screen that were not quite calibrated properly.
“So it’s not like the hardware is wrong or there’s a problem with the hardware. But there were two issues in Spa as well.
“I think the deployment was not quite deploying optimally across the lap. We saw this with [Oscar] Piastri as well, who had a similar issue. So that was one of my problems.”
“But then on top of that, we had something separate,” he added. “It was all linked to the same calibration being not quite right. I’m not going to say simply numbers on the screen.
“But now we know which numbers potentially were not correct. We can rectify that, recalibrate things. And give the power unit performance at its full potential.”
Eager to focus on driving again
Russell revealed he had tried to adapt his driving style after data initially suggested his inputs could be a contributing factor.
“It’s a huge load off my mind, but also while I’m driving, to be honest,” he said.
“Because throughout some laps in Silverstone and then throughout the majority of Friday and Saturday in Spa, I was thinking about how I needed to drive to make the power unit fast in the straight. And how I pick up the throttle, the gear usage, how early I am before throttle.
“The data was telling us that was probably the reason, but it turned out it wasn’t the reason.
“So all of that effort over the course of three sessions trying to re-optimise my driving around a new technique was kind of for nothing.
“So I’m looking forward now just going into a weekend where I can just try and focus on driving fast. Focus on the simple things. I know that is when I perform at my best.
“But we’re not in a simplistic sport. So saying let’s just solely focus on the simple things is easier said than done sometimes.”
Although Russell acknowledged that normal variations between power units will continue throughout the remainder of the season, he said Mercedes felt confident the calibration issue had been resolved in time for the 2026 Hungarian GP.
“Yeah, we believe so,” he said.
“Of course, Kimi took the new PU in Austria. So there will be at some point differences.
“But that will come back in my favour at one point. In the season that’s just the norm. But the main calibration issues that we saw, we hope and we’re pretty confident should be fixed here.”
Russell bracing for a challenge from Ferrari at 2026 Hungarian GP
The Mercedes driver also noted that the Hungaroring’s characteristics should reduce the emphasis on outright power while potentially bringing Ferrari into stronger contention.
“But for me, this is now history; it’s behind me now,” he said. “I’m just looking forward to coming into Budapest. It’s a circuit I like.
“It’s going to be a real challenging weekend. We know it’s one of the least power-sensitive circuits of the season. We’ve got Ferrari close behind. They have a better chassis than power unit at the moment. Of all of the circuits, you can expect them to be competitive here.
“Of course, Kimi [Antonelli] is performing super well every single race weekend. So it’s not going to be a straightforward weekend, but I’m excited for it.”
