– Mercedes driver George Russell suffered another heavy defeat in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix (results): The 28-year-old Briton lost more than half a second to his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who thus secured his sixth pole position of the season.
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But Russell is puzzled. “We thought it was the driving style and the technology, but we have finally come to the conclusion that it is not,” the Mercedes driver said disappointedly to Sky UK. “We have changed everything.”
But the gap remains huge. “It was four tenths on the straights in Q3, and it is frustrating to see a gap of two to four tenths every lap this weekend,” the Briton explained. “In FP2 yesterday it was seven tenths. The team is working so hard to understand what it is.”
Already in Austria and Silverstone, Russell was sometimes significantly slower than his teammate Antonelli. “We thought we had found the problem,” added the 28-year-old, who is repeatedly disappointed. “We go through this process again and again: We think it is because of this – we change it. But it is not because of that.”
“I thought it was the driving style. Honestly, I went into the weekend with that mindset. On Thursday I said, ‘I think it’s the driving style. Let’s change the driving style.’ But it’s not the driving style. As I said, the team is working hard to get to the bottom of it.”
George Russell at a disadvantage with an older engine?
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff also has no clear explanation. “George loses two and a half tenths in the corners and two and a half tenths on the straights,” the Austrian analyzed on Sky. “And it is so complex with the power units that we cannot exactly explain where the deficit on the straights comes from.”
Already in Friday’s free practice, Russell was significantly behind championship leader Antonelli due to a problem. The Silver Arrows have not yet found a solution. “It could be that it is an older engine compared to Kimi’s brand new one,” Wolff said. “That is one explanation, but we have to get to the bottom of it.”
Photos: F1: Belgian Grand Prix (Spa) 2026
However, Antonelli is currently in absolute top form. “Kimi is completely free at the moment, doesn’t think much about how he drives, and has a lot of confidence,” says the Mercedes team boss. “He is simply really good right now.”
“And with George, it was always the case that he had small issues with the car that were not his fault, and that adds up. And at some point, the driving suffers because it is, of course, in your head that there is an issue with the car.”
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Toto Wolff: Russell “does not harmonize with the car”
The situation is completely different with Antonelli. “The first lap was off,” Wolff reports about the young Italian’s first qualifying attempt, but “he doesn’t panic at all. Then they adjust the wing by one degree and the car flies again.”
The Russell problem, meanwhile, lies elsewhere. “George obviously suffers from a lack of top speed on the straights,” confirms the Mercedes team boss. “Is it the power unit? Kimi has a brand new engine, and that makes a difference.”
However, Wolff also sees potential in Russell himself. “He has already found a large part of it, but in some corners he is still missing two to two and a half tenths,” Wolff says. “Overall, he has fought back well, but at the moment he does not harmonize with the car – that was already the case at the last two race weekends.”
“He probably isn’t to blame for that, but we just have to get it under control as a whole package.” Due to the subsequent penalty against Lando Norris (McLaren), Russell will at least start the race from third position on Sunday.
George Russell “feels confident”
“Anything can happen,” says the Briton, who apparently does not have too high hopes. “The truth is: Fighting against my teammate, who is an incredible driver and currently doing such a great job, is a big challenge even under the best circumstances.”
“In a direct duel, I feel confident. I can do it,” says the current championship runner-up, “but when it feels like you’re fighting with one hand tied behind your back, that’s a challenge. We had that problem in Silverstone and ended up second on the podium.”
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“Tomorrow I will try to endure the pain of this problem and hope for a great result,” Russell knows he faces a difficult race. “I don’t know what the solution looks like, but I really hope we find it before Budapest.”
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