George Russell believes his Mercedes team have identified the problem with his engine that damaged his world championship hopes over recent races and left the driver fuming when it played a key role in him being knocked out of Sunday’s round in Belgium.
Russell has been struggling with issues with his electrical energy deployment for three races now, since the Austrian GP, particularly at Silverstone and Spa which are energy-dependent circuits. In Belgium he was furious after he lacked electrical energy when exiting turn one on the opening lap. It left him vulnerable to the chasing pack, notably the Ferraris which swept past and he entered Les Combes corner alongside Lewis Hamilton, who clipped the Mercedes, sending Russell out of the race.
He was angry with the team at the deployment problem having left him alongside Hamilton. His Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli went on to win the race and extend his lead over Russell in the title race to 50 points.
Mercedes admitted there was a problem with the car’s energy management, but also that at the time they were unable to identify what was causing the erratic performance which is governed by the electronic control systems as part of the engine’s hybrid battery unit. However before this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Russell confirmed they have identified and solved the problem.
“I’m feeling good and glad there are some positive answers that have come back from the battery and it’s eyes forward now,” he said. “These new power units are just exceptionally complex, and there was something deeply embedded in the calibration of the code that was almost impossible to see unless … you knew exactly what to look for. So I’m glad we have found it. Spa and Silverstone probably exposed the issue just because of the nature of the track.”
Russell had lambasted his team across the radio after the incident at Spa and stood by the strength of his reaction as part of the process of ensuring the team addressed the problems.
“My words could have been slightly different,” he said. “I felt quite vocal about this issue pre-Spa and during Spa, and ultimately we have achieved what we wanted to in the sense of finding there was an issue. If you sit there and do not express any views, maybe you find an issue, maybe you don’t, you don’t move forward.”
The British driver is not alone in his frustration with how the algorithms that dictate the deployment of electrical energy are having an effect on the new formula. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was also struggling with a lack of energy during qualifying which left him two-tenths down on teammate Lando Norris. His team also ascribed the deficit not to driving style but to variables in the computer-controlled deployment systems they too could not identify.
Meanwhile, the possibility of a return for the Malaysian Grand Prix to the calendar this year has also been mooted in the buildup in Budapest. It is understood the meeting is being considered to slot in between the races in Baku and Singapore on 4 October. Bahrain had been in the running to take the spot but the renewed hostilities in the Middle East have made it highly unlikely.
F1 is also considering options of alternatives to step in should the final two races of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi be cancelled, with Portimão in Portugal the likely candidate to take place two weeks after the previous round in Las Vegas. However the sport will not make a decision to call off the two meetings in the Middle East until as late as possible.
