George Russell has defended Lewis Hamilton following their opening-lap collision at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, describing the incident at Spa-Francorchamps as a normal racing incident rather than a reckless move by the Ferrari driver. Although the stewards gave Lewis Hamilton a five-second penalty, George Russell directed most of his frustration towards the Mercedes power-unit problem that left him virtually defenceless on the Kemmel Straight.
The Mercedes driver revealed that his battery failed to recharge after La Source, leaving him with only 35 per cent energy before it dropped to zero at the top of Eau Rouge. That loss of electrical power also affected the boost system and allowed three cars to pass him before the contact with Lewis Hamilton at Turn 5 ended his Belgian Grand Prix.
George Russell left speechless by Belgian GP retirement
“I don’t know what to say. I have no words at the moment,” George Russell admitted shortly after his dramatic retirement on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix. His tone of voice made clear how emotional and disappointed he was following an incident that brought his race to an immediate end.
After making a strong start, the British Mercedes driver reached the Kemmel Straight in a promising position. However, he was then rapidly reeled in by the two Ferraris, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton overtaking him as his W17 suddenly lost performance.
Lewis Hamilton’s pass was particularly significant because it helped create the circumstances that led to the contact at Turn 5. George Russell attempted to resist his former Mercedes team-mate by braking late at the end of the Kemmel Straight and remaining on the outside for the first part of the sequence, which would have placed him on the inside for the following corner.
According to the interpretation presented in the source, Lewis Hamilton left enough room on his left, while George Russell did not squeeze the Ferrari towards the inside. Car number 44 then moved slightly towards the left because of its behaviour through the corner rather than as a result of a deliberate manoeuvre by Lewis Hamilton, making contact between the two cars unavoidable.
George Russell spun and came to a halt on the outside of the corner, with no opportunity to rejoin the race. However, his greatest frustration was not directed at the collision itself. Instead, he was angered by the lack of power that had allowed the Ferraris to close so rapidly on the Kemmel Straight and placed him in such a vulnerable situation.
George Russell describes Hamilton clash as a racing incident
George Russell made it clear that he did not regard Lewis Hamilton’s actions as intentional or reckless. He believed the contact was the consequence of several cars arriving together after his Mercedes suddenly lost straight-line performance.
“I was completely swallowed up on the straight, on the Kemmel Straight,” George Russell said. “I lost three positions at that moment before reaching Turn 5, and then the contact was a normal racing incident.”
Lewis Hamilton was nevertheless handed a five-second penalty, which he served during his pit stop. The Ferrari driver ultimately recovered to fourth place, while George Russell was unable to score after his first-lap retirement.
The incident also unfolded during a weekend in which energy deployment was a major talking point. Before the race, Lewis Hamilton had already questioned the battery-driven nature of overtaking under the 2026 regulations, particularly at a circuit where differences in available electrical energy can have a dramatic effect on straight-line performance.
Mercedes battery failed to recharge after Turn 1
George Russell then offered a more detailed explanation of the technical problem that compromised his race. He said his initial launch had been strong and that he had positioned himself directly behind Max Verstappen after negotiating the opening corner successfully.
“I made a good start,” George Russell explained. “I took the first corner very well and immediately tucked in behind Max Verstappen. But, for some reason, the battery decided not to recharge at Turn 1. I went through the first corner, the battery did not recharge, and I came out of it with only 35 per cent charge.”
“Because it did not recharge, I also had a problem with the boost.”
The 2026 Formula 1 power units rely much more heavily on electrical energy, making efficient harvesting and deployment crucial to both lap time and racecraft. Spa places additional pressure on those systems because cars must deploy energy for an extended period from the exit of La Source, through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, and along the Kemmel Straight.
The challenge had already been highlighted by the FIA’s revised energy rules for the Belgian Grand Prix, which forced teams to pay particular attention to MGU-K management around the lap.
George Russell says the loss of power was dangerous
The problem was not limited to the battery. George Russell said the failure also prevented the turbo and boost system from operating correctly, leaving his Mercedes without the performance needed to defend against the cars behind.
“The turbo was unable to manage itself correctly, so I had no power,” George Russell continued. “I reached the top of Eau Rouge with the battery at zero per cent. Frankly, it was dangerous. Three cars overtook me. I should never have been in that situation, and that is what makes me most angry.”
His comments underline how quickly a loss of electrical deployment can transform a driver’s position under the 2026 regulations. George Russell went from believing he could challenge near the front after La Source to being passed by several cars before reaching the next braking zone.
The issue was especially costly because the Mercedes driver felt he had placed himself in an excellent position during the opening moments of the race. Rather than fighting for the lead, he suddenly found himself trying to defend without the power required to do so safely.
George Russell says Lewis Hamilton did nothing reckless
George Russell acknowledged that Lewis Hamilton carried more responsibility for the eventual contact, but he stopped short of criticising the seven-time world champion’s driving. He emphasised that the Ferrari driver had not caused the collision deliberately and had not attempted anything he considered reckless.
“Lewis Hamilton didn’t do it on purpose,” George Russell said. “He had more responsibility than I did, but he did nothing reckless. Perhaps I could have opened my line a little more, and perhaps he could have braked slightly earlier, but that incident should never have happened if I had possessed the necessary straight-line speed. I am really very disappointed.”
George Russell’s assessment therefore differed in tone from the stewards’ ruling. While he accepted that Lewis Hamilton bore a greater share of responsibility, he viewed the accident primarily as a consequence of the technical failure and the unusual situation it created on the opening lap.
The stewards ultimately decided that Lewis Hamilton was responsible and imposed the five-second sanction. However, they also recognised mitigating circumstances, including the reduced grip, limited space and the Ferrari driver’s attempt to avoid the collision.
George Russell’s anger focused on Mercedes power-unit failure
George Russell’s comments suggested that the collision with Lewis Hamilton could reasonably be viewed from a driver’s perspective as a racing incident. Nevertheless, race control chose to penalise the Ferrari driver, with the five seconds added to his pit-stop time during the Grand Prix.
For George Russell, the more important concern was the Mercedes power-unit failure that had triggered the entire sequence. The W17’s lack of energy and boost prevented him from maintaining his position and exposed him to several overtakes before Turn 5.
“I appreciate that everyone is working hard to solve the problem, but I was the one in that position at that moment of the race,” George Russell concluded. “I felt as though I was in an excellent position to fight for the lead at Turn 1. Then, suddenly, there was no power and everything went up in smoke.”
The retirement proved costly for both George Russell and Mercedes. He left Spa without points, while Ferrari capitalised through Charles Leclerc’s second place and Lewis Hamilton’s recovery to fourth. The incident also demonstrated once again how decisive battery recovery, energy deployment and boost management have become under Formula 1’s new technical regulations.
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