Mercedes is still trying to explain why George Russell had more energy deployment issues at the Belgian Grand Prix, despite tweaking his driving style. The team noticed a consistent top‑speed deficit on straights against teammate Kimi Antonelli in practice, qualifying, and the race, even after the 2026 regulatory changes.

Russell admitted he had focused the last 36 hours on straight‑line speed, yet “I keep losing a tenth of a second on my own straight.” He believes the problem is not with the power unit but with something “slowing us down” in the straights, hinting at a setup or energy‑management issue.

Technical director Simone Resta said Mercedes is “still struggling to understand every single contributor” to the deficit. He noted that driving‑style differences between the two cars appeared to affect deployment, and that the team is learning under the new 2026 regulations, aiming to pinpoint the root cause before Hungary.

Both cars suffered a poor start after a software glitch forced them to hit their energy‑harvest limit at Turn 1, leaving them without power on the Kemmel Straight. Russell was then caught by Ferraris and collided with Lewis Hamilton, ending his race.