Never had a season like this' - Russell 'p****d off' at latest Mercedes issue

George Russell says he's "never" experienced a season with so much misfortune after an engine issue caused his disastrous start to the Hungarian Grand Prix. <p>Russell started Sunday's race in sixth, one place ahead of Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli, but his car went into anti-stall so he slowly crept off the line and dropped to the back on the long run down to Turn 1.</p><p>He quickly moved through the field to finish seventh but lost further ground in the title race to championship leader Antonelli, who is 50 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton and 59 points in front of Russell.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/f1/standings">F1 2026 standings</a> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/f1/schedule-results">F1 2026 Calendar</a> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/f1/live-blog/12433/12466779/f1-news-rumours-and-gossip-formula-1-latest-updates-on-teams-driver-transfer-market-and-contracts">F1 Gossip Column</a></strong></li><li><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/ContentPromo" target="_blank"><strong>Download the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more</strong></a><strong>📱</strong></li><li><strong>Not got Sky? </strong><a href="https://www.sky.com/tv/sports?dcmp=Ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink" target="_blank"><strong>Get Sky Sports</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="http://www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink" target="_blank"><strong>stream with no contract on NOW</strong></a><strong>📺</strong></li></ul><p>"Obviously the problems are happening, but the whole team feels it as well. They're as p****d off as I am with how it's unfolded," said Russell.</p><p>"We need to look at ourselves and ensure it's nothing we're doing wrong that is contributing to these errors. Oscar [Piastri] had his [gearbox] thing as well. It's not like we're the only one, but it does feel like it is happening substantially more to me than others.</p><p>"Hopefully it swings around. I don't wish any bad luck on anyone. But I've never had a season like this in my whole career, let alone my F1 career."</p><widget id="1"></widget><p>Russell explained that he was barely on the throttle pedal yet the engine was revving highly before the lights went out, which led to the "terrible start."</p><p>He told <em>Sky Sports F1</em>: "I was on the throttle waiting then all of a sudden the engine was going all over the place, it was revving really high and really low.</p><p>"Add it to the list of things that have happened in the first half of this year and pray things calm down in the second half."</p> <widget id="2"></widget><h3>Russell 'past the point of disappointment'</h3><p>Both Mercedes drivers have suffered unreliability problems this season but Russell has been on the wrong end of things more recently.</p><p>He suffered a battery failure when fighting Antonelli for the lead at the Canadian Grand Prix, was one of five drivers to incorrectly be given a penalty for speeding in Monaco and claims to have been down on straight line speed compared to Antonelli, which culminated in a race-ending collision at the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this month.</p><p>Although he admits there are "things in my control I need to do better", Russell says "there are a lot of things out of your control".</p> <widget id="3"></widget><p>"I'm sort of past the point of disappointment now, because if I continue to be disappointed with everything that goes on, I'll just be disappointed every day of the week. So I've got to stay positive," he said.</p><p>"The pace was very strong. The team said I was as strong as anybody out there, which I haven't been there for probably three races, so I will take positives there.</p><p>"But yeah, it's just unbelievable the list of things that's happened this season."</p> <widget id="4"></widget><p>Russell was also forced to change his power unit ahead of Sunday's race after an engine crack in qualifying, meaning he may need to take a grid penalty later this year.</p><p>Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: "In terms of engine penalties, I still very much hope we don't need to take it. We need to decide when that is, when we need to take one and which tracks."</p><p><strong>The Formula 1 season resumes after the summer break with a Sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix from August 21-23, with every session live on Sky Sports F1. <a href="https://www.nowtv.com/watch-sky-sports-online?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink">Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime</a></strong></p>

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