George Russell experienced bad luck again during his last race at the Hungaroring. At the start of the Hungarian GP, the Mercedes driver’s W17 went into anti-stall mode and he fell far back in the field. For Russell, this is just the latest misfortune during a season half marked by problems beyond his control: “Usually I don’t need a summer vacation, but this year I do.”
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Before the start of the season, George Russell was still the favorite for the world title. Meanwhile, teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli has taken over the lead as World Champion, and the Brit is even behind Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ championship. Russell faced bad luck several times in the first half of the 2026 season: from reliability issues with his W17 to unfortunate timing of the safety car in Japan.
His latest bad luck came at the start of the Hungarian GP, when his car went into anti-stall mode. Russell fell so far back in the field. “The race in Hungary was completely ruined,” the Brit sighs to various media. “I executed my strategy right at the start. The pace was fine. The result was worthless. But the things I had control over were just okay. Usually, I don’t feel like I need a summer vacation. This year, I absolutely feel like I need a break.”
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Russell is not the only Mercedes driver to have bad luck this season. Kimi Antonelli also lost potential wins in Barcelona and Silverstone due to battery problems. “The whole team is affected by the problems,” Russell continues. “So they are just as angry as I am about how it has gone. We need to look at ourselves and make sure we don’t do anything wrong that contributes to these mistakes.”
‘Never experienced before’
Although Russell is by no means the only driver facing reliability issues in 2026, it feels to the driver as if he is the one experiencing the most bad luck. “Of course, Oscar Piastri also had his own problems in Hungary (retired due to a gearbox failure, ed.). It’s not like we are the only ones, but it does feel like it happens to me significantly more often than others. Hopefully, the tide will turn,” Russell sighs. “I don’t wish bad luck on anyone, but I have never experienced a season like this in my entire career, let alone in my F1 career.”
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Read everything about the Dutch GP in Zandvoort here
