Just in: FIA issues LATE DISQUALIFICATION on George Russell after dramatic Hungarian GP…see details

FIA issues LATE DISQUALIFICATION on George Russell after dramatic Hungarian GP…see details

George Russell endured another frustrating weekend at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, although reports suggesting he received a late FIA race penalty are inaccurate. Instead, the Mercedes driver was struck by a series of technical problems that ruined what had looked like a promising race, continuing a difficult run of bad luck in his championship campaign.
Russell qualified sixth for the race after Mercedes detected a water-pressure issue on his car during the final phase of qualifying. As a precaution, the team replaced the internal combustion engine before Sunday’s Grand Prix. Since the replacement was within the allocation of permitted power-unit components for the season, Russell avoided a grid penalty and started from his original position.
However, disaster struck moments before the race began. Russell explained that just seconds before the starting lights went out, his engine suddenly behaved unpredictably, causing the anti-stall system to activate. Instead of launching cleanly from sixth, he dropped to the back of the field. The unexpected malfunction destroyed his chances of fighting for victory or even a podium finish.
Despite the setback, Russell drove impressively through the field. He recovered from near last place to finish seventh, demonstrating strong pace throughout the race. Nevertheless, the result was disappointing because his Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, climbed onto the podium with a third-place finish. That result allowed Antonelli to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship while Mercedes continued to lead the Constructors’ standings.
After the race, Russell did not hide his frustration. He admitted he was “past the point of disappointment” after suffering repeated reliability issues throughout the 2026 season. According to Russell, the latest engine problem was completely beyond his control and added to an already long list of technical failures that have cost him valuable championship points.
Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff accepted responsibility for the latest setback. Wolff described the recurring technical failures affecting Russell as “not good enough” and stressed that the team must solve the reliability problems. He acknowledged that Russell had been particularly unlucky this season, with several races compromised by mechanical failures rather than driver errors.
The Hungarian Grand Prix marked another difficult chapter in Russell’s title challenge. Earlier in the season he was considered one of the favourites for the championship, but repeated reliability problems, including engine failures and race-ending incidents, have left him trailing Antonelli significantly in the standings. Even though Russell has shown excellent speed whenever his car has been reliable, poor fortune has prevented him from converting that pace into consistent results.
With Formula One now entering its summer break after Hungary, Russell said the pause has come at the right time. He hopes Mercedes can investigate the technical issues, improve reliability, and return stronger for the remaining races. If the team succeeds, Russell still has an opportunity to recover valuable points, although overturning Antonelli’s championship advantage will require both strong performances and improved reliability during the second half of the season.