Wolff reveals Mercedes power unit issues after Russell's Belgian GP DNF: '100% on us'
Photo: Race Pictures
17:35, 19 Jul
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Henry Eccles is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs, and features across the F1 calendar. Since joining in 2026, he has produced high-volume reporting on the sport’s biggest stories, alongside feature pieces including analysis and historical content.
Toto Wolff has revealed "all Mercedes engines" had issues on the straights during the Belgian GP when discussing George Russell's Lap 1 DNF at Spa-Francorchamps. Russell's teammate, Kimi Antonelli, secured victory in the Ardennes forest after overtaking Charles Leclerc on Lap 34.
Speaking post-race to Sky F1, Russell's slow start out of Turn 1's La Source, which compromised his run all the way through Eau Rouge onto the Kemmel straight, was put to Wolff, with the Briton getting "swallowed up" by rivals before race-ending contact with Hamilton at Les Combes.
Wolff, analysing Russell's nightmare start at Spa, said: "Two situations. First, the accident that happened was unfortunate for us. We lost a lot of constructors' points and George drivers' points. We had an issue on all Mercedes engines that we lacked the power out on the straights. That hit him badly and it 100 per cent goes on us.
"We are trying our best as a team. We have the most powerful power unit, a strong car that is capable of winning. Everyone is giving their maximum to minimise the mistakes and still it happens because we are humans at work.
"We let Kimi down at Silverstone where George got a podium, which is maybe better than the result should have been. Then one DNF for Montreal, the other in Barcelona. That's a little bit of the story of our season. It's a technical sport, a mechanical sport."
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On what Mercedes need to do to improve reliability, seemingly their one weakness so far this season, Wolff reiterated that he would much rather have a strong, if unreliable, power unit than a slow one.
He said: "We came out with a product [power unit] that is so strong and I'd rather fix the reliability rather than accelerate a slow engine, or slow car. We are giving it 100 per cent and need to give it 100 per cent because we lost a lot of points with reliability. We should be much further ahead than we are."
Wolff: Russell has our 100% support
Photo: Race Pictures
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Focusing more closely on how he will handle Russell, who has lost P2 in the Drivers' standings to Hamilton, now trailing his former Mercedes teammate by five points, Wolff was fully behind his driver.
"George has our 100 per cent support. George tried the outside, late braking and it should have been his corner but that's a racing incident. These things can happen whether you are at the front, middle or back of the pack.
"George had a difficult weekend, probably half of it will be attributed to the power unit that wasn't as good as it should have been on his side, and the other side maybe on the driving.
"But we are in this together. We all do mistakes. Today it was a mistake that the team did, another day it will be a mistake of the driver. We just need to minimise it and support each other."
The Mercedes boss made sure to praise his 19-year-old star Kimi Antonelli, hailing the Italian's ability to bounce back from an unlucky VSC to take victory. "I'm happy for Kimi. He really deserved to win. Silverstone should have been his but he had a DNF on the car," Wolff said.
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"Today, all weekend, was very strong. Never dropped the ball. Even when the VSC went against him, he lost the lead but regained it and eeked it out. He merited that victory."
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