Mercedes admitted that it faced problems with its power units during the Formula 1 Belgian GP. According to Toto Wolff, the failure affected all cars equipped with the brand’s engines and played a decisive role in George Russell’s retirement right on the first lap.
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The team principal took full responsibility for the situation and stated that the loss of performance on the straights especially compromised the British driver’s race. While Russell retired after the contact with Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli overcame the adversities to claim victory at Spa-Francorchamps.
Wolff explained that Russell had a poor exit from La Source corner, which affected all the acceleration through Eau Rouge up to the Kemmel straight. With less power available, the driver ended up being overtaken by several rivals before the incident at Les Combes.
“There were two situations. First, the accident was unfortunate for us. We lost many points in the constructors’ championship and George lost important points. We had a problem in all Mercedes power units, there was a lack of power on the straights, and that affected him a lot. This is 100% our responsibility,” said the team principal.
Despite the setback, Wolff highlighted the competitiveness of the Mercedes package in 2026: “We have the strongest power unit and a car capable of winning. Everyone is giving their best to minimize mistakes, but they happen because we are human,” he said.
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The Austrian also addressed the reliability problems faced by the team throughout the season. He mentioned retirements in Montreal, Barcelona, and Silverstone, emphasizing that he prefers to fix reliability issues in a fast package rather than trying to make a slow car competitive: “We should be much further ahead than we are.”
Commenting on Russell’s maneuver on Hamilton, Wolff defended his driver: “George has our 100% support. He tried to overtake on the outside, braked late, and that should have been his corner. That was a racing incident. These things can happen anywhere in the pack,” he added.
Finally, the Mercedes boss praised Antonelli’s recovery after losing the lead during a Virtual Safety Car: “I am happy for Kimi. He really deserved to win. Silverstone should have been his, but he had a retirement caused by the car. This weekend, he was very strong and, even after losing the lead, managed to regain it. He deserved this victory,” he concluded.
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