Toto Wolff has confirmed that all Formula 1 cars with a Mercedes engine struggled with a lack of power delivery at the start of the Belgian GP. George Russell was particularly hard hit by the battery problem, causing him to lose several positions immediately. Shortly after, the Brit ended up in the gravel trap after a collision with Lewis Hamilton, ending his race in the opening lap.
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According to Wolff, the problem affected all Mercedes customers, although Russell was the hardest hit. “All Mercedes engines had a lack of power after turn one, so it wasn’t just George (Russell, ed.)”, Wolff explained on Sky Sports. “He was hit harder by it than Kimi (Antonelli, ed.), but he also suffered from it to some extent.” The 19-year-old Italian lost the lead to Max Verstappen at the start, although he managed to pass the Dutchman again later.
‘Lack of power is our fault’
“There are two things here,” emphasized the team principal. “First, the race and the accident that happened. That was unfortunate for us: we lost many points in the constructors’ championship and George missed out on valuable points in the drivers’ championship. In addition, there was the problem with all Mercedes engines, which simply meant we lacked power on the straight. That also affected him significantly. That is one hundred percent our fault.”
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Wolff took full responsibility for the lack of power but did not want to completely absolve Russell of criticism. “Probably half of it is due to the engine, which was not as good as it should have been, and the other half perhaps to his driving style.”
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