George Russell did not have the opportunity to compete in the Belgian Grand Prix of Formula 1. This Sunday (19), at the start, the driver was touched by Lewis Hamilton, spun, and retired from the race, which left him quite disappointed with the new stroke of bad luck.
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The Mercedes driver started third, but as soon as the lights went out, he was swallowed by Charles Leclerc. Then, the seven-time world champion began to threaten him, but when trying to complete the pass, he touched the opponent, who spun and got stuck in the gravel trap, having his second retirement of the 2026 season.
Frustrated, Russell explained that his battery failed to recharge at the moment of recharging, which left him vulnerable. “I had a good start. I made a great first corner and was right behind [Max] Verstappen, but for some reason, the battery decided not to recharge at Turn 1,” he said.
“The battery didn’t charge and I left the first corner with 35% less charge. And since it didn’t charge, I also had a power problem. The turbo didn’t work as it should, so I was without power. I reached the top of Eau Rouge with 0% battery. Frankly, it was dangerous. I was overtaken by three cars. I shouldn’t have been in that position to begin with. That’s why I’m so irritated,” he added.
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For the incident, Hamilton received a 5-second penalty for causing a collision, but George was not so upset with the move involving his former teammate, but rather with the power unit problem. “As for me and Lewis, honestly, I think it was a racing incident,” he opined.
“He didn’t do it on purpose. The fault was more his than mine. But he didn’t commit any recklessness. One of the things that irritated me the most was precisely the fact that I was in that position. I was in a great situation after Turn 1. I was ready to fight for position with the two drivers ahead of me until Turn 5. Instead, I ended up being swallowed by three drivers,” he concluded.
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