Mercedes explain what led to Russell’s P6-P21 start in Hungary

Mercedes have clarified that George Russell’s disastrous start at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw him drop to 21st place, was caused by a technical issue rather than driver error. Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord explained that the engine's RPM unexpectedly rose while holding wait revs, triggering a rev limiter. When Russell attempted to correct this by lifting off the throttle, the race lights went out, leaving him with insufficient power and activating the anti-stall system. Despite the setback, Russell delivered an impressive recovery drive to finish in seventh place. Lord praised his performance, noting that he could have secured an even better result if not for the unfortunate timing of a Virtual Safety Car period shortly after his second pit stop. As the season heads into the summer break, Russell currently holds third place in the drivers' championship standings with 160 points.