Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has shed light on the difficulties George Russell has faced during the 2026 Formula 1 season, citing mechanical setbacks and increased competition.
Russell began the year with a dominant win in Australia, but his campaign has since been marred by misfortune and performance issues.
One notable setback occurred at the Canadian Grand Prix, where Russell was leading but retired from the race, losing a potential victory.
Wolff revealed that Russell had been driving with a problematic engine for months, delivering reduced power compared to teammate Kimi Antonelli's car.
The issue, which cost Russell approximately two-tenths of a second, was only identified after the Belgian Grand Prix.
"George was leading in Montreal but could not finish the race.
That would have been another win and would have given him a more positive mindset going into the following races," Wolff said.
"To be honest with him, we had a problem with his car's engine that was discovered far too late and cost him two-tenths.
Naturally, the pressure on him increased because he started the season as the clear favorite," he added.
Wolff also acknowledged that Antonelli's improved performance this year has intensified expectations on Russell. Antonelli has won six Grands Prix and shown significant progress compared to 2025.
"Last year, Kimi scored no points in nine races, but this year he is doing very well. Suddenly, expectations change, and you find yourself at a disadvantage.
If anyone can handle this defensively, it's George, because he is a tough guy," Wolff remarked.
"The best are able to bounce back. So I believe he certainly can," Wolff concluded.
Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner, however, is skeptical about Russell's title chances, giving him only a five percent chance due to setbacks and competition.
Steiner pointed to an incident at the Hungarian Grand Prix where Russell's car triggered an anti-stall system at the start, partly attributing it to a possible turbo issue rather than driver error.
"He had a lot of luck to get away with it and avoid collisions, especially considering how far forward he was and how long he was stationary.
You need luck, and he had it," Steiner said.
"It's getting harder and harder, to put it politically correctly. Everything is possible, but it's very, very difficult.
I really give him only a five percent chance," he added, assessing that Russell's prospects look bleaker than those of Lando Norris, who recently won the Hungarian Grand Prix.
In the 2026 championship standings, Antonelli leads with 219 points, Russell is third with 160, and Norris is fifth with 128.
F1 analyst Jake Humphrey noted that Max Verstappen is regaining competitiveness after recent podiums and may contend for wins again post-summer break, as Mercedes' early dominance has waned.
"This was a very important race considering where we stand. Ferrari remains fast.
Max Verstappen has secured two consecutive podiums and seems capable of winning races again. McLaren is competitive and winning again.
The earlier Mercedes dominance is over," Humphrey said.
Verstappen expressed cautious optimism ahead of Hungary, noting ongoing improvements despite some remaining issues and the unpredictability of upgrades from other teams.
"Some weekends the performance feels more natural, while others still have a few problems to solve, but the trend is upward, which is positive to see," Verstappen said.
"You always have to wait and see when other teams bring big upgrades, which can suddenly improve their times by two or three tenths," he added.
Verstappen finished second in Hungary, aided by a notable overtaking move on Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.
