Strategy
Wolff reveals Mercedes power struggles at start
Answer
ConfirmedToto Wolff confirmed that every Mercedes-powered car suffered power deployment problems at the start of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. The issue affected energy delivery out of Turn 1 and hit George Russell hardest, though Kimi Antonelli also experienced it to a lesser degree.
Wolff confirms power deployment issues for all Mercedes cars at Spa start
Toto Wolff stated that all Mercedes-powered cars encountered a lack of energy deployment at the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix.[1]
The problem manifested as reduced boost on the run out of Turn 1.[2]
George Russell felt the greatest impact and lost positions as a result.[1]
Kimi Antonelli also dealt with the issue, though to a smaller extent.[1]
Mercedes is now investigating the cause of the glitch that struck every car in the customer and works teams.[1]
Related reading
Sources
- [1]All Mercedes cars struggled with power issue at Belgian GP start, reveals Toto Wolff (motorsport). Accessed 2026-07-19.
- [2]What the teams said – Race day in Belgium (formula1). Accessed 2026-07-19.
Published 19 Jul 2026, 23:32 UTC